Entwined
by fallenstars1320
Summary: On a class field trip to London, two girls, Caroline Lawrence and Ella Rhodes go to the pub for dinner and run into two boys, Finn and Jack Harries. Jack likes Caroline, she likes Finn, he likes Ella, but Ella isn't interested. Another boy is added to the mix and as the love pentagon tangles and the five lovers become more entwined, feelings are expressed and hearts are broken.
1. Chapter 1

**AN- Hey! So, we are two authors working on this collaboratively and this is in fact our first Fan Fiction and our first story on this site. So you could call us amateurs... We are REALLY excited to be sharing our story with you guys and we hope you like it! Thanks for reading! :D**

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The grade twelve class of Kensington High filed off the large passenger airplane, into the crowded London airport. Caroline Lawrence and Ella Rhodes marched down the narrow passage of shops they didn't recognize as their classmates explored the unknown territory. There were automatic doors that lead out to the busy street. Ella bumped into a tall, slim man, apologized and when he said sorry in his thick British accent, she giggled towards her friend, Caroline. People were everywhere they turned, coming, going, meeting for lunch, or returning back to work. They started feeling claustrophobic and overwhelmed by the dense population, much bigger than the few thousand people in their hometown of Queens County, New Brunswick.

"This is so... so..." Ella started, thinking of the right word to describe the new environment all the senior students were experiencing.

"So sick!" Ryan yelled, running up beside Caroline, placing his arm around her shoulders playfully. She shoved him off as she said, "I don't think 'sick' is the right word, Ry. It's more like sophisticated and inspirational." Ella's foot slipped into a puddle.

"Sure, the total _opposite_ of Ella!" Ryan left the girls to run up to some other boys in the class.

"Okay, students! Listen up! We're going to head over to the hotel and then you will have an hour or so before we'll get our dinner!" The English teacher Mrs. Anchory yelled, only to be heard by Ella, Caroline and a few others of her 'favourite students'.

"Okay!" The class shouted back in unison. Students began crossing the street, heading in the same direction but walking as far apart as possible.

Once everyone had reached the hotel, they went straight up to their rooms after they'd all been checked in.

Caroline, Ella and their two other roommates unlocked the door to room 508. The beds were neatly made but there were only two. The light yellow wall paper was peeling in the area under the window, right above the radiator, obviously from the heat. Caroline turned the two bedside lights on, but they were so dim that they barely made a dent in the darkness.

The girls quickly slipped out of their plane clothes and into their evening attire. Lindsay and Morgan, the other half of the four girls opted for sparkly tops, slim black jeans and knee-high boots, hoping to stand out in the big city, but being ever so clueless about the clothing that London party-goers wore. Caroline decided to wear a figure-hugging dress to show off her curves with a pair of black ballet flats. Ella, not knowing what to expect, threw on her dad's Princeton hoodie and skinny jeans.

"Oh, honey, you can't wear that. This is London, not your dad's high school reunion," Lindsay hissed absentmindedly while applying a thick coat of makeup to her already flawless skin.

"How would you know? And, for the record, Princeton is a university, not a high school. But I'm not surprised you mixed the two up since you'll never graduate from either of them," Ella spat back.

"Okay, guys, let's break it up. We should head down to the lobby now anyways," Caroline intervened. Lindsay and Morgan left in a matter of seconds, while Caroline and Ella stayed behind for a while.

"She's such a bitch," Ella muttered.

"Ella, she may be a bitch, but you can't sink to her level. Who knows, maybe all this time we'll be spending together up here in our room will bring out her true colours and you'll change how you feel about her. Just give it some time," Caroline said.

"Some time? You're asking me to give her some time? I've given three years, Car. She's had three years to show me her true colours. I'm pretty sure I know what I'm talking about."

"You're right, she's just a bitch." Caroline smiled at Ella, wrapped her arm around her shoulders and they walked out of the room towards the elevator.

...

"Caroline! Wait up!" The girls turned their heads as far behind them as they could to see Ryan, flailing his long arms around as he ran to catch up to them.

"Hurry! Close the door!" Ella yelled at Caroline, knowing she wouldn't.

"No! I need to talk to you, Caroline." Ryan sped up and just as the elevator door closed he stuck his big foot out to stop it.

"Can't it wait? We're already late. I bet everyone's waiting for us downstairs," she said.

"Fine," Ryan stepped inside and stood in silence, with a slow humming and quiet classical music in the background.

...

The first dinner in London was a mandatory group meal, crushing the plans of most of the students. Mrs. Anchory had decided to bring the thirty odd students to a little pub in one of the busiest parts of London, not accounting for the fact that it was a Friday night. The students spilled out to fill nearly three large tables, four booths and it took seven waiters to get everyone's orders right.

Ella, Caroline and Ryan had snagged the end of a large table, closest to the bar part of the establishment.

"Why did we all have to eat together? I mean, this is so noisy and crowded, and I am sure it would be like this without all of us _teenagers_ in here anyway. But seriously, Mrs. Anchory is so stupid and so lonely here that she made us eat with her so she wouldn't have to eat by herself." Ella sat complaining, while the three friends waited for their drink orders to be filled.

Whispers shot down from the table, ending up at Caroline and Ella. "Those guys over there are so hot," Morgan said with a grin on her face. "Check it out, I think they're twins."

"Where?" Caroline asked, a hint of excitement echoed in her voice.

"Right over there," she pointed. "The tall ones standing by the bar. I think Lindsay just got up to go talk to them," she squealed. Ella and Caroline glanced at each other then quickly turned their heads in the direction Morgan had pointed in shortly before. Ella shook her head in disapproval, frowning at Caroline. "I bet they're just a couple of jerks," she said with a scowl.

"A couple of _sexy_ jerks," Morgan added.

"As I was saying," Ella continued, shooting Morgan a look. "They probably think they're all that. With their perfectly chiselled chins and British accents. They probably have girls falling all over them, but not this girl. Nuh-uh, she ain't falling for their good looks. And I've seen better anyways."

"Yeah right! You probably think they're so hot. You just don't want to admit that you may actually have a soft-" Morgan quickly stopped talking when Lindsay returned to sit beside her. "What happened? How was it? What did you say? What did _they_ say?" She asked excitedly, like a little girl in a candy shop.

"Oh, they're actually gay," Lindsay said, nonchalantly, looking at her perfectly manicured fingers.

Caroline frowned down at the table, a wave of disappointment flooding her eyes. "Are you sure? They don't _look _gay." She glanced up at Lindsay confidently, positive she was calling a bluff.

"I bet they're not. You're probably just saying that so we all keep our hands off them. Don't worry, we're not interested. They're preppy, private school boys who think they're the most important people on the earth and I bet they have nothing interesting to say. They probably sit around all day drinking tea, talking about their horses on their farm in Cheshire and discussing business and politics all day long. B-O-R-I-N-G."

"What's boring?" A strange, _British_ voice asked. Ella spun around faster than a spinning top and glanced up at the tall figures standing behind her.

"Uh, nothing," Ella said, completely caught off guard by the very people she was talking about. In a mere second she caught herself and restarted, "I mean none of your business. Who are you anyway? Haven't you heard of keeping your dirty noses out of other people's conversations?" She glared at the two handsome boys making sure not to break. So what if she was wrong about their looks? That didn't mean she was wrong about their personalities. She needed to stay strong.

"Sorry about my friend. She didn't mean to be rude. I'm Caroline. We like to call her Ella," Caroline said and flashed a friendly smile.

"Don't worry about it. I'm Jack and this is my brother Finn," he said, his voice drenched in a thick accent. They were identical twins, not hard to tell by looking at them. They both sported chestnut hair, styled in the same fashion. Jack's eyes were hazel while Finn's were more of a burnt brown. They shared the same chiseled, dominant features. Jack was slightly taller than Finn, but Finn's voice was a tad deeper. He smiled back at her but with a little more flare. Finn looked at Ella. "So you think we're gay?" He said.

"Lindsay said that. Not me," Ella replied dryly.

"I see. But I could have sworn I just heard you say it," he said back.

"Why don't you just tell her if you're gay or not. It seems one of you is lying."

"It's not her I'm interested in." Ella started to blush but before she let it go any farther, she stopped herself. "Look, I'm sure you're a nice guy or whatever, but maybe you should try that line on someone else." As she said this, Caroline stood up and pushed past Jack, then Finn and stopped at Ella. "You're being rude," she whispered. Lindsay twitched as Jack said, "So, Caroline, have you been here before? Maybe I could show you around."

"Yeah that'd be great. But maybe we could all go? The four of us?" Ella nudged her, wishing she'd stop talking.

"Yeah, cool. When do you think you'll be finished?" Jack replied, not taking his eyes off of Caroline.

"Maybe five minutes? We'll just run to the washroom quickly, if that's okay with you," she said politely.

"Take all the time you need. We'll meet you outside," Jack said, smiling at Caroline.

"Great," she replied, looking at Finn who was eyeing Ella. Caroline grabbed Ella by the wrist who followed her, resisting Caroline's forceful grasp on her hand. Ella trudged to the loo behind Caroline.

"Look, Ell, they're cute and sweet and I'm diggin' the accent. And Finn is totally in to you. Just go with it. Trust me, Ell."

"But I don't want to-"

"All they want to do is show us around town. They're harmless. If it's not what we expected or what we're looking for, we don't have to see them again."

"You mean you. What_ you're_ looking for, what _you_ expected."

"Oh come on, Ell. Live a little, put yourself out there, be social. Two cute British boys just offered to take us around London. If anything, we're getting a reliable, useful tour of the city that we can benefit from."

"Okay," Ella said, giving in.

"I know it sounds strange now, but I think this could be really fun, Ell." Caroline ran her fingers through her hair.

Caroline and Ella left the washroom and headed back to their table where Finn, Jack and Ryan sat patiently. They grabbed their bags and were just about to leave the dark, British pub when Caroline felt a small hand on her shoulder. She whipped around, startled, only to find Mrs. Anchory with Lindsay and Morgan standing behind her smugly.

"Just where do you think you girls are going?" She asked loud enough to be heard over the guests at the bar. Everyone turned to look at the commotion by the door.

Ella could feel her cheeks burning as she mustered the strength to say, "Nowhere, Mrs. Anchory. We just wanted to get some air outside. It's a little warm and crowded in here."

Mrs. Anchory quickly stole a glance at Lindsay then returned her attention to the two friends and their companions. She sighed, "Alright. But if you aren't back in ten minutes, I'm sending you home. I won't be responsible for your well-being if you're going to run off with strange men!" She laughed, as she was joking, but Caroline nodded, knowing she was right. Mrs. Anchory left Caroline and Ella with Lindsay and Morgan trailing behind her.

"Ugh. Her stupid annoying voice and her loyal bitches," Ella started to complain. She used a tone that was clearly a form of mockery towards Mrs. Anchory, Lindsay and Morgan.

The four of them stepped outside, the cold, harsh wind startling Caroline.

"So your teacher seems nice," Finn commented. "Yeah, real charming," Jack added. The two boys stood sheepishly in front of Caroline and Ella, blocking them from the wind with their broad bodies.

"Yeah," Caroline mumbled. "So, I guess we can't go out-"

"Hey," Finn paused, looking at Ella who looked away sharply when their gazes met. "Just because you can't go out right now, doesn't mean we can't take a rain check," he continued.

"I guess," Ella murmured.

"Well if we exchange numbers we could plan to get together when you can get away for a couple of hours," Jack offered to Caroline.

"Sure," she replied, glancing slightly at Finn, then focused her attention back on Jack. "Tonight when we get back to the hotel, we have two hours before lights out."

"Do you want to meet up then?" Finn asked.

"Okay," Ella replied. Jack walked to the pub door, opened it and ushered Caroline in. "Ladies first," he smiled, Caroline returning the gesture. Ella and Finn followed close behind.

The girls returned to their table, Ella upset about her food being cold. Mrs. Anchory informed the class that they had ten more minutes before they had to return to the hotel.

Ella groaned. "I can't believe I won't have time to order more food. I'm starving!"

"What about your fish and chips? You hardly touched them," Caroline said.

"I can't eat this! It's colder than it was before it was cooked."

...

When everyone was back at the hotel, full from a delicious meal, Ella and Caroline headed straight up to their room. They wanted to discuss their plans for later that evening, without Lindsay and Morgan there to eavesdrop. Ella was reluctant. Caroline was excited.

"How are we going to do this? We can't leave while Lindsay and Morgan are still up but we don't want to leave too late," Caroline said, weighing their options.

"Maybe we just shouldn't go. I guess it's not meant to be," Ella replied, cancelling out all of Caroline's possible plans.

"Well I could always go by myself," Caroline teased, knowing Ella wouldn't go for it.

"No, I'll come with you. But if we get caught, it's on you," Ella warned.

"Okay, okay, fair enough. We could always make a deal with Lindsay and Morgan," Caroline pondered, grinning.

"What do you mean?" Ella asked.

"Well if they're planning on going out one night or do something they're not supposed to do at night, like sneak down to the boys' floor, we could keep their secret if they promise to keep ours." Just as she finished explaining, before Ella could nod and agree, Lindsay and Morgan stumbled through the door giggling. They stopped mid-step and glared at Ella and Caroline.

"Hey, guys," Caroline said, breaking the ice.

"We have to get ready," Morgan said, pushing past Ella.

"For what?" Caroline asked.

"We're going out, smart one. But I swear, if you tell Mrs. Anchory, I _will_ kill you," Lindsay threatened, eyeing Ella.

"We won't tell, but you have to do something for us," Caroline said.

"What? Tuck you in?" Lindsay joked.

"Funny," Ella said, sarcasm dripping from her voice.

"We're going out, too. Or, planning on it at least. If you don't tell on us, we won't tell on you. Deal?"

"Depends on what you're doing," Morgan said.

"We're just meeting up with a couple of people," Caroline explained.

"Who?" Lindsay inquired.

"It doesn't matter," Caroline spat harshly.

"Fine, but you can't tell anyone," Morgan clarified.

"Obviously," Ella muttered.

...

Ella's phone blared an irritatingly catchy tune at what sounded louder than full volume.

"The fu-" Her voice got quiet as she reached into the small pocket of her skinny jeans. Caroline was frantically running around the hotel room, trying to decide between jeans and yoga pants or if she should just keep on her dress. Ella accepted the call; even though she didn't recognize the number. She hesitantly said hello.

"Ella?" A deep British voice said calmly.

"Yes. Who is this?" Caroline looked at Ella, taking a break from her mini workout.

"Okay. I thought I had the wrong number for a minute. It's Finn."

Ella sighed. "Hi, why are you calling me?" She asked, not putting two and two together.

"Well you guys said tonight was good to get together so we can meet you at your hotel. Which is...?"

"Right! Oh, we're staying at," she paused, looking at Caroline expectantly; mouthing the words _'what hotel is this?'_

"The Sheraton," Caroline said, a confused tint in her soft brown eyes.

"Great, we'll meet you in the lobby," Finn said.

"No! No, don't do that. We'll meet you across the street," Ella exclaimed before calming her voice. "That little shop, whatever it's called."

"Oh... okay. We'll meet you there then," Finn replied.

"We'll be ready in like," she paused, glancing at Caroline. "Twenty minutes."

"Okay, cool. See you soon."

Ella hung up the phone without responding and put it back in her pocket before jumping stomach-first onto one of the two perfectly-made hotel beds, sighing heavily as she watched Caroline return to her pacing.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: We really hope you guys are enjoying it so far, and we hope you continue loving it! :D Here's chapter 2! Please tell us what you guys think! Enjoy...**

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Ella slowly opened the hotel door, praying it not squeak. She stepped outside into the carpeted hall. Caroline tip-toed closely behind her. Instead of taking the elevator which would just cause too much noise, they pushed open the big metal door that led to the stairwell. Each step was a chance they might get caught; slipping down into a sea of risks. They couldn't stop now. They'd come too far. The boys were so close, but felt so far away.

Caroline and Ella finally reached the lobby. They definitely looked like students so weren't surprised when the hotel clerks looked at them curiously. They all knew that two young girls in the lobby at this time of night was a little suspicious. None of them had any right to say anything, so no one did. Ignoring their stares, Ella and Caroline continued until they reached the door and exited. There, they waited for the traffic to clear before they crossed.

"Hi," Jack said to Caroline, then to Ella.

"Hi," Finn mimicked, looking at Ella.

"Hi," Ella and Caroline replied in unison.

"Ready?" Finn asked.

"Yes. Where are we going first?" Caroline asked.

"Well, there are a few stops on our list. But we were thinking we'd take you for tea?" Jack answered.

"Sounds great, it's pretty chilly," Caroline said, flashing a smile in Finn's direction.

"British tea," Ella chimed. Finn chuckled then relaxed into a smile that soon faded.

They marched down a long, narrow street. They stepped into the warm and cozy tea shop. The black board above the counter was full of colourful hand-written, chalk messages. Different types of tea filled the centre of the board. Finn walked to the cash register, placed his order and handed the girl a bill or two. She then filled his right hand with silver coins that jingled in his palm. He walked back towards the group, two mugs of tea in his hands. Caroline stared at him.

"I'll go grab mine and yours," she said to Jack who was looking at her.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't know you wanted some," Finn said dryly.

"It's fine," she replied. She started to walk away, back to the counter, when Jack tugged on her hand. "Don't worry about it. I'll grab them," he smiled. Their hands lingered and remained entwined for a few short moments. Caroline blushed.

"Your hair looks different," Finn said to Ella.

"Oh, Caroline straightened it."

"It looks great," he said back.

"Thanks," Ella replied.

"How's your tea?" Finn asked.

"It's great. How about yours?"

"It's great, too." Finn smiled cheekily as he took another sip of his hot tea. Ella lifted the mug to her mouth, the flavour of berries and intimacy racing down her throat. Ella was comfortable here, more comfortable than she'd been with anyone but Caroline in a long time.

"So where do you live?" Ella asked, curiously.

"I share a flat with my brother. It's in town."

"Are we close to it?"

"Relatively. Why? You want to go?"

"Oh, no. I was just wondering." Finn smiled at Ella as she giggled quietly. Jack and Caroline returned to the table. As Caroline was about to pull out her chair, Jack slipped his hand behind her and pulled it out for her. "Thank you," she said sweetly.

"No problem," he replied. Finn nudged Ella's foot under the table; she nudged back. Ella's cheeks flushed red like a tomato when Finn asked her to join him outside for some fresh air.

"Do you like it here?" Finn asked.

"Well, from the five hours I've been here, yes, I do," Ella answered

"That's good," he said. "So do you play any instruments?"

"What kind of question is that?"

"It's just a question," Finn said. "I'm trying to get to know you," he added.

"You want to get to know me?" Ella asked confused.

"Yeah," Finn replied cheekily. Ella smiled shyly.

"I play the violin. What about you?"

"I play the drums. How long have you been playing?"

"Since I was twelve. My aunt plays so when I was younger, she taught me some of the basics. Are you in a band or something?"

"Cool. Yeah. My friends and I started this group in high school," Finn said.

"Does said group have a name?" Ella asked, genuinely curious.

"We're called Strike 13."

"That's so neat. Do you play gigs and stuff?"

"Yeah, when we get the chance." Finn smiled at Ella. "You should come to our show this weekend."

"Me?" She said in surprise.

"Yes, you. Do you want to come?"

"Yeah, I'd love to. That would be really cool."

"Yeah, it would. Do you think you could do me a favour?" Finn smirked.

"Depends on what it is," Ella teased.

"Let me kiss you," Finn said. Ella stared at him in shock.

"Kiss me? Right here? Right now? We just met, like three hours ago," Ella said. Still shocked and confused.

"I know, but I'm really into you. And I might not get to see you again soon. You're on a school trip, I'm sure your teacher has lots planned for you." Ella just stared at him eyes wide, mouth open. She thought for a minute. Then before she knew it, she was face to face with Finn. His eyes looking into hers. He pressed his lips against hers as he placed his hand on her hip and pulled her close. His other hand slid down her back as she squirmed pleasantly in his tight grasp on her small, fragile body. She stroked his cheek before pulling away slowly.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" He asked, delighted.

"No. Not at all," Ella said quietly, lying through her straight, white teeth. She felt as though she had to hold onto Finn for Caroline's sake. If she didn't keep him interested he would leave and Caroline's chance at a romance with Jack would be over for good. Little did she know that that was far from what Caroline wanted.

Ella and Finn rejoined Jack and Caroline at the table in the back corner of the tea shop. Ella tried to forget about what had happened but it was imprinted in her mind for good and kept playing over and over again like a broken record.

Caroline sat directly across from Jack, her fingers curled around her porcelain mug. "Why did the cow cross the road?" Jack asked, excited to see her reaction.

"You're not seriously telling me a joke, are you?" She laughed.

"What's wrong with that?" He asked, slightly offended but still kept the mood light.

"There's nothing wrong with it," she paused. "I think it's cute," she continued. Jack smiled at her, looking directly into her eyes.

"I don't know, why did he cross the road?" She played along, hoping to catch Finn's attention somehow.

"To get to the udder side," he said, slapping the table laughing.

"That's so bad," Caroline winced, but laughed anyways. Jack tipped his cup back, taking in the last sip of his tea. Caroline placed her now-empty cup on the table, started to stand up, but before she reached Jack's level, he'd already grabbed her mug and started towards the counter to return them. Caroline met him as he turned to walk away from the young girl at the cash register.

"So where are we going next?" Caroline asked eagerly. Finn peaked over at Ella, on Caroline's left. She was looking down at the floor, never glancing up to meet his gaze.

When they reached the cool air outside, Finn said, "Ella and I are going to take a detour. We'll meet you guys at the London Eye in about forty five minutes." This was news to Ella, but considering her duty to keep him happy for Caroline, she obliged.

"Oh, okay," Caroline mumbled. Ella caught a hint of disappointment in her voice but decided it was nothing.

"We'll see you later then," Jack added. With that, Finn took Ella down a road with nearly no light at all and disappeared completely when they turned onto another.

"So how long are you here for?" Jack asked Caroline.

"Three weeks," Caroline said happily.

"Longer than I thought," Jack replied.

"Is that a bad thing?" Caroline asked.

"No, no. It's not a bad thing at all," Jack smiled.

"Okay," Caroline replied.

"It's so weird," Jack said.

"What is?"

"Well, I mean, I feel weird, sneaking you out of your hotel because you're on a school trip."

"I know. Sorry about that. I know I'm not as old as you probably want me to be."

"No, it's not a problem. It's just weird. And I don't care how old you are, it doesn't mean I'd like you any less." Jack winked at Caroline but she looked away, ignoring his attempt at flirting. They walked for nearly thirty seconds before Caroline said, "I'm not sure why, but I'm not tired at all. I mean, we were on that flight for God knows how long and it's almost midnight but I don't want to go to sleep."

"Did you sleep on the plane?" Jack asked.

"A little, but not that much."

"Hmmm... maybe it was the tea," Jack suggested.

"Maybe."

"So what are you doing after high school?"

"I'm majoring in English Literature at University of Manchester, actually."

"Really? That's not too far from here," Jack grinned.

"I know," Caroline smiled back at him, thinking of how close she'd soon be to Finn. Jack reached his hand across the little space that remained between them and touched her fingertips. She flinched and moved her hand away at first but then she thought of how close Jack could bring her to Finn. His fingers wrapped around hers, his large hand protecting her smaller, more delicate one from the cold, harsh wind. She didn't pull away or flinch this time; she only squeezed his hand tighter, excitement warming her cold hands.

They walked until they reached a small boutique on the corner of a cobble-stone road. Jack opened the door for her like he'd done earlier, having to let go of her hand. Caroline unzipped her coat because of the strong wave of heat that flew over her as she entered. Jack did the same thing, only less elegantly. Caroline walked over to the wall of woolen hats the middle-aged store owner had so carefully set up on display. She stroked a deep purple wool tuque. Then she ran her fingers over the entire length of the wall. Jack watched as she admired the time and attention that had gone into each and every one of the beautiful accessories. Caroline returned her focus to the purple hat, turning to Jack. "Isn't it beautiful?" She said. Jack smiled at her.

"Do you have a washroom?" Caroline asked the woman.

"Straight down that hallway, to your right," she said, pointing to the back of the store.

"Thank you," Caroline said.

When Jack was sure Caroline had gone, he walked over to the purple hat, picked it up in his hands and said to the lady, "I'll take this one, please." She smiled at him. "Sure," she said.

When Caroline returned, she looked at Jack and asked, "Is there anything you want to look at?"

"No, I'm okay," he smiled. Caroline smiled kindly at the owner one last time before stepping back out into the cold, dark night.

Jack reached into his pocket and pulled out the hat. He handed it to Caroline, grinning. "Jack, you didn't have to do that," she said, guiltily.

"I wanted to."

"Thank you," she replied with a big smile. "Will you put it on me?" She asked.

"Yeah," he answered. He took the hat from her hands gently and placed the hat on her head with one swift motion. He fixed her hair around her shoulders before stroking her soft, pale cheek. She gazed into his eyes, he gazed into hers. Caroline took Jack's hand again as they continued down the street.

...

Ella and Finn reached a tall, slim building in between two shorter ones. A coffee shop a little farther down the street and a bank on the corner. Finn walked to the door and pulled out a bundle of keys. He searched for the right one until he found it. He pushed it into the lock on the beaten, red door, he turned it to the left and the door swung open on its loose hinges.

"Where are we?" Ella asked.

"This is my flat," Finn answered. Ella wondered what they were doing here but stopped herself from asking when she realized that Finn wanted to bring her here.

They stepped inside, Finn leading the way. Ella followed Finn up three flights of stairs until they'd reached the floor they were looking for. Finn stepped forward to unlock the apartment door. He proceeded inside, Ella close behind him. She looked around the small living room that led into the kitchen about half the size. Family photos, she guessed, lined the walls. A small, old TV sat on the floor next to a fern. A couch that had clearly been loved but very used was pushed up against the far wall of the room.

Finn walked over to Ella from behind and put his hand on her shoulder. She'd taken her coat off already and was revealing her black tank top. He moved the strap off of her shoulder, lightly farther down her arm. He caressed her cheek and pulled her lips closer to his. Finn's soft lips touched Ella's slowly. She didn't stop him, yet. He slid her bra strap down after kissing her lips again. She moved towards him, her body pressed against him. She kissed him back, not knowing what she was getting herself into. All of this had happened within minutes, not a single word spoken. From her hips, Finn took the helm of her shirt in his hands and started to pull upwards, uncovering her small waist, his lips still locked with hers. She stopped him as she pulled away from his chest. "It's really late. I should go," she said nervously.

"But we were just getting started," Finn gasped. He kissed her again but she pushed him away.

"I don't think this was a good idea. You're a jerk and you never wanted to get to know me, all you wanted was to get me into your bed. And it might have worked if I was anyone else, but I'm not, so good luck with the next girl," she spat.

"That's not was I was trying to do. I think you're beautiful and smart and funny."

"Well don't you think I would have rather been asked on a date where we could talk and get to know each other?"

"Sorry, I didn't think of that."

"No, you're not much of a thinker, are you?" Ella pulled her shirt back down and removed Finn's hands from her hips. She quickly put her coat on and rushed out the door.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Here's chapter 3! We hope you guys are liking the story and please, write your reviews with what you think! **

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"Wake up! You wouldn't be this tired if you didn't sit up half the night talking!" Caroline woke up to the sound of Mrs. Anchory yelling at the girls in the room next door. She jumped out of bed with a start, knowing that Mrs. Anchory would be knocking on their thick wooden door in a matter of minutes.

"Ella! Ella wake up! We were supposed to be up twenty minutes ago!" Caroline yelled, shaking Ella's arm before stumbling, half asleep, to the drawer she had put her clothes in the night before.

"What the hell? Where are we?" Ella said. "Oh," the confusion on her face slowly turning into understanding and then a look of hatred crossed her eyes. She remembered the pain and disappointment she had felt last night when she realized that Finn had only wanted one thing from her; her body. It was all a joke for him, a trick, a game he played with all his other girls to get them to trust him and to get them into his bed.

"Where are Morgan and Lindsay?" Ella asked, rubbing her right eye while sitting still on the big bed, enveloped by the numerous pillows.

"I don't know. They were here when we got back last night, so I am guessing they went downstairs for breakfast already. Doesn't matter, Ella. You have to get dressed or Mrs. Anchory will kill us!"

As if by some demonic coincidence, a heavy fist started pounding on the door of the girls' hotel room.

"Speak of the devil," Ella muttered under her breath, as she went to get the door, Caroline running into the bathroom to get dressed. Or to avoid Mrs. Anchory's pre-morning coffee temper. Or both.

Ella pulled open the door and put on a sarcastic smile, "Good morning, Mrs. Anchory!" she said in a sing-songy voice, "How are you doing? You look great. Are you a morning person or what?" Ella knew she was pulling the bull by the horns but she couldn't help herself. It was too easy with this pathetic teacher.

"Charming as usual, Ella. If you and your roommate Ms. Lawrence aren't downstairs in ten minutes I will come back up here and drag you out of your room by your ears!"

"Of course! We wouldn't dare disobey you!" Ella smirked at her and then casually slammed the door in her face; ignoring the mumbled shriek from the hotel hallway.

Ella pulled a shirt out of her still packed suitcase and her pair of jeans she wore yesterday. She quickly changed, combed her thin hair and pulled it up in a loose bun.

She sat on the bed waiting for Caroline to finish in the washroom so she could brush her teeth.

A few minutes later Caroline walked out of the tiny bathroom in leggings, a tank top and cardigan and some short heeled boots.

"Is this okay?" she asked, folding her pyjamas and neatly putting them into her top drawer.

"Yeah," Ella replied flatly, closing the bathroom door behind her, resenting the image in the mirror as soon as it appeared.

…

The hotel dining room was loud, a little too loud for that early. It was filled with what looked like a whole high school of kids. The girls weren't expecting there to be other classes, from other schools, from other cities in the same hotel. Caroline half expected to see Jack and Finn with trays in their hands at the buffet table, but quickly reminded herself that they weren't in high school anymore. The severity of this thought hit her head on, and she almost stumbled over from the idea that they couldn't and shouldn't be together and the fact that she hadn't had any breakfast yet.

"Hey, Ell, what do you think looks good?" Caroline asked. Ella stared blankly at an empty chair in the corner, a hard gaze set in her eyes. "Ell?" Caroline repeated. "Ella!" She finally yelled.

"What?" Ella asked harshly.

"I asked you a question," Caroline said impatiently.

"Just have a bagel and orange juice," Ella answered in the same tone.

"What's wrong?" Caroline asked, completely ignoring Ella's response.

"Nothing. Just get your goddamn breakfast and let's go sit down," Ella replied angrily with a bowl of cereal on her tray. Caroline quickly grabbed a bagel and a small packet of cream cheese off of the buffet counter and followed Ella back to their empty table.

The girls sat in silence, their soft chewing unnoticeable amid the loud chatter of the hundred or so other students. Ella finished her cereal and without a glance towards Caroline, stood up and went back for more. Caroline sat with a perplexed look on her face, going over the whole night in her head, trying to think of something she did to make Ella so irritated with her. There was one reason she was deliberately avoiding; the fact that she had forced Ella, against her will, to go out with her and the two boys. But Caroline thought Ella had fun so that couldn't be the reason for Ella's sudden anger. Ella was never really a morning person anyway, but once she ate breakfast she was usually back to her _cheerful_ self. Caroline also knew for a fact that it wasn't Ella's time of the month, so that couldn't be the explanation. When Ella returned with a piece of toast and an apple juice packet, Caroline still didn't know why Ella was so pissed off. So she thought of the only thing she could and she decided to confront her and demand she explain her bad mood.

"Ella, I know something's wrong, so tell me. I'm not going to leave you alone until you do so just come out and say it," Caroline said.

"Nothing's wrong!" Ella shouted, still unable to be heard over the loud students.

"Fine, two can play this game," Caroline began. "Is it because you didn't get to finish your dinner last night?"

"No," Ella replied.

"Did you not like your tea last night?"

"No," Ella repeated.

"Is it because you didn't get a lot of sleep last night?"

"No," Ella said once more. Just before Caroline had the chance to interrogate Ella any longer, Mrs. Anchory announced that everyone was to go back to their rooms with fifteen minutes before their tour bus left. Ella and Caroline stood up in sync and headed back upstairs, neither of them speaking to the other.

Fifteen minutes should have gone by quickly, but because Ella and Caroline sat in silence the entire time, it was like watching paint dry. Finally, they returned to the lobby and waited with everyone else while they piled into the bus. Ryan was standing next to Ella, talking about an article he'd read in a British newspaper. Even though Ryan was imitating posh British men, Ella didn't crack a smile. Her mind was running constantly, playing everything that had happened last night with Caroline, Jack and Finn.

The group arrived at their first destination by 9:30, which was right on schedule according to Mrs. Anchory. The tour guide hopped out of the bus first, leading the students down the cobble stone path to Big Ben.

After a long but interesting tour of the historic clock tower, the class was dismissed for lunch and told to meet back at the entrance in an hour.

"Where should we go?" Caroline said quietly, breaking the prolonged silence between the two friends.

Before Ella could get out her snarky remark, a familiar voice broke through all the chatter of the class, "Caroline?"

Caroline and Ella both turned their heads to find Jack running towards them, with Finn trailing behind, his hands in his jean pockets.

"Jack, Finn! What're you doing here? Well, I guess that's a stupid question seeing how you live here, but I mean, what are you doing here at Big Ben?"

"We just had lunch with our mum where she works, over there," he said cheerfully, pointing to a grey brick building down the block.

"Wow! What a coincidence! I can't believe you guys are here, while we're here!" Ella rolled her eyes, despising Caroline's giddiness. Finn had made his way to the three of them now, but didn't give either of the girls a greeting. He just looked down at his mud covered shoes solemnly. Caroline was about to say hello when Ella cut in, "Yeah, what a coincidence. Great seeing you again Jack! I'm sure Caroline will be in touch soon but we have to go get lunch now so if you'll excuse us." Ella grabbed Caroline's arm, but Caroline shook her off, staying where she was.

"Caroline Lawrence and Ella Rhodes! Who are these two overage men you are conversing with?!" Mrs. Anchory speed walked over to the group and stood with her arms crossed. Ella looked over at Lindsay and Morgan to see them staring intently at them and smiling. Lindsay saw Ella and waved her arm to give her a sarcastic wave.

"Nobody, Mrs. Anchory," Caroline said. She made eye contact with Jack and mouthed a message of parting. Jack sighed and nodded slightly, then grabbed Finn's hand and pulled him away. Mrs. Anchory stood still, expecting an apology from the two girls, but receiving a glare from Caroline and a smirk from Ella.

"Honestly, Caroline. I thought you knew better than to talk to strangers. Ella, I could see it coming from you so I'm not surprised, but Caroline? I am truly disappointed."

"It's not like that, Mrs. Anchory! We-we know them," Caroline stopped herself before giving away too much of the wrong information.

"If you're implying what I think you're implying, which must be what you're implying, then all I have to say to you two is, you're too young." And with that, Mrs. Anchory left the girls and walked in the opposite direction she came in. The class, having their before lunch show end, parted into two or three large groups and started off in what they hoped were the right directions for finding food.

Caroline stood with her feet planted firmly on the ground as Ella started to walk along the sidewalk, not knowing where she was headed. She turned her head around, hoping to see Caroline moping along behind her, but she stopped walking when she saw Caroline standing exactly where she had left her. She slowly sauntered back over and sighed, "Are you coming or not? Don't think I'm not above leaving you alone to go eat lunch."

Caroline's eyes bore into Ella's with so much intensity that Ella had to look away. "What happened?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Caroline," Ella started, her voice cracking as she lied.

"What happened last night with Finn?"

"Nothing! We went to his place and then I just went back to the hotel room to sleep!"

"Ella, I'm your best friend! I know that something is wrong and you were acting so weird just now with Finn. Not to mention he looked like a puppy that had been kicked to the ground."

Ella looked back at Caroline and burst into tears. Caroline gasped. Ella was the strong one. Ella was the tough one who never got hurt or who never cared about anything! What had Finn done to make her break down in tears in the middle of the crowded downtown street?

Caroline grabbed Ella and wrapped her arms around her, pulling her close. "What did he do?" she whispered, after Ella calmed down a bit.

"He- he brought me back to their apartment and then he," Ella paused to catch her breath, "He kissed me. And it felt nice, I _guess_. But then he kept trying to kiss me again and again and he started to put his hand up my shirt and," she started to cry again, then caught herself and continued, "I knew what he wanted from me. So I slapped him and pushed him off of me and I ran out and just kept running. I didn't know where I was going, I was so scared and then I found my way to the hotel by memory."

The girls broke apart and Caroline frowned, "I honestly thought they were different, him and Jack. I thought they were smart, respectable university guys but guys are all the same! They're all pigs!"

"I know." The girls exchanged a sincere smile and then, without any warning, started to laugh. They didn't care that people were staring at them like they were mental cases, they were laughing, like friends should. And everything fell back into place. So it didn't work out between Ella and Finn. Ella knew that Caroline and her were going to have a great time together, just the two of them against the big city. But Caroline could still feel something in her heart towards Finn. A flutter of butterflies in her stomach when she thought about him. But she couldn't tell Ella if she wanted to see him again; Ella would never forgive her. The girls walked hand in hand down the busy street, chatting away about nonsense and letting their feet guide them.

Their first real day in London had been anything but boring. They had actually gotten to go onto the London Eye, making up for last night's ruined plans. Now Ella and Caroline were relaxing in their room until they were going down to the hotel restaurant for dinner. Ryan had eaten there at lunch and wouldn't stop talking about how good the food was, so to shut him up Ella had said they'd go there tonight for dinner. Ryan invited himself.

"Do you think a cute guy works here? I always imagined I'd fall in love with a hotel clerk." Ella was lying on one of the hotel beds with the TV on and was calling to Caroline, who was drying her hair in the bathroom. It was a miracle that Caroline had heard her question over the loud electronics.

"Well, most British guys are cute, so yeah there probably will be!" Caroline called back. She had just finished drying her hair when there was a loud knock on the door to their room.

Caroline hesitated but answered it anyway. It was Kylie, a girl from the room next door.

"Sorry to bother you, Caroline. Do you think I could borrow your straightener? Mine's busted!" Kylie whined, while twirling her ratty blond tips.

"No! Go away, Kylie!" Ella yelled from inside the room. She had muted the TV so she could listen in to their conversation.

"Shut up you bitch!" Kylie yelled back, not caring if anyone heard her. "Yeah so can I?" she asked, returning her attention to Caroline.

Caroline wanted to help Kylie, she really did, but she and Ella were running late and she didn't want to keep Ryan waiting downstairs. "Sorry, I didn't bring mine." She avoided Kylie's disappointed eyes as she closed the hotel room door and walked towards Ella.

…

When Ella and Caroline reached the dining room, Ryan was waiting patiently for the girls on the bench in the designated waiting area. He had put on a nice shirt and dress pants when all the girls had thrown on were jeans, boots and loose-knit sweaters. Caroline immediately felt under-dressed but Ella didn't even notice the attire difference.

"You look nice," Caroline complimented Ryan, flashing him one of her famous smiles.

"Not nearly as nice as you," Ryan replied, grinning wildly.

"Let's just get this over with," Ella butted in.

The trio waltzed into the room full of other hotel clients, dining at tables decorated with ivory-coloured linens. The glasses of wine were never empty, every napkin resting on a lap. Candles took the places of fancy centre pieces, creating a soft glow and a romantic mood. Ella already felt uncomfortable and out of place.

Ryan pulled out a chair for Caroline to sit down in and then he seated Ella. She rolled her eyes at him but Caroline smiled contently at the small but gentlemanly gesture.

A finely dressed waiter with sleek, black hair approached their table. "Good evening, ladies," he greeted the group.

"And gentleman," Ryan added, clearly offended.

"I'm Simon and I'll be serving you tonight. Can I start you off with some drinks?" The waiter continued, ignoring Ryan's comment.

"Just water," Caroline said, avoiding the waiter's continuous stare.

"I'll have an iced tea," Ella said slowly, making sure the waiter could understand her clearly. But he wasn't paying any attention to Ella.

"Great, and are you ready to order your food or should I give you a few more minutes to choose?" Simon was talking to Caroline, and only Caroline. He hadn't heard Ella's drink order and he obviously didn't care about it either. His eyes never left Caroline.

Ella's face started to turn red as she got more and more frustrated with Simon and his poor waiting skills. She started to stand, ready to start a _loud_ argument with the waiter when Ryan grabbed her arm and pushed her back into the chair roughly. He had no reason to act like a gentleman towards Ella; she was no lady.

"I think we need a few more minutes to look over the menu," Caroline said, looking at Ella, who was glaring at Simon, then at Ryan who smiled sweetly at her.

"Okay, I'll be back over in a few," Simon said before tending to other customers in need of his service. He definitely wasn't wanted at their table.

"I think the smoked salmon looks good," Caroline said, trying to break the silence that had fallen between the friends when Simon left.

"Get whatever you want; I'm paying," Ryan said, smiling at Caroline.

"I think I'm going to get the salad with sesame oil and shrimp," Ella chimed in.

"You don't have to pay, Ryan. I brought money," Caroline said.

"Caroline, I want to buy my friend dinner in England! Can't you just let me?" He looked offended that Caroline thought of paying but tried hard not to show it.

"I guess-" Caroline started to reply but Ella interrupted her. "What did you just say?" she spat, "You want to buy your _friend_ dinner? What about me? I have to pay for myself? I should've seen it coming; I mean you _are_ in love with Caroline!" With that, Ella jumped up from her seat and ran out of the restaurant before Caroline or Ryan could stop her.

Caroline stared after her but sat still. "Leave her," she said, as Ryan stood to go after her. "We shouldn't waste a nice night because she is a drama queen."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure." Caroline smiled sweetly at Ryan and he instantly sat back down and smiled back.

"She seems so upset lately. It's like she's a time bomb and the littlest things set her off."

"I know. I wish I knew why though. She never lets me, never talks to me about her feelings. I know it's just because she wants to keep a brave, strong front but we're all human right? We shouldn't try to hide our feelings."

Ryan looked down at his fingers and sighed. "Caroline, speaking of feelings I need to tell you something."

"Sure, Ryan. What's up?" Caroline looked at him with concern, bracing herself for something terrible.

"Lately I've been feeling, _different_ about me and y-" Before Ryan could finish spilling his heart out to Caroline, her phone went off loudly, the sweet, melody piercing the ears of diners around the her and Ryan.

Caroline quickly pulled out her phone and put a finger up, silencing Ryan, before answering, "Hello?" She hadn't checked the number but knew who it was when she heard the oh-so familiar voice.

"Car? It's Ella." Caroline hesitated before responding, not sure why Ella would call her when she could just come back down to the restaurant.

"What do you want? Ryan and I are about to eat dinner," she lied, knowing it was a risky move with Ella.

"Okay I'll be quick. I just wanted to say sorry to you, and Ryan, about my outburst and it was really unfair and selfish of me."

"Why did you have to call me?"

"Because, I, um, I'm kind of lost." Ella whispered quietly.

"What?!" Caroline screamed, then remembered where she was and lowered her voice before continuing, "What? What do you mean lost? Please tell me you mean you forgot what room we're in," Caroline said, knowing that wasn't what Ella meant.

"I mean, after I ran out of the restaurant I continued running out of the hotel and down the street. And I didn't stop until I realized I had no clue where I was."

Ryan looked at Caroline, puzzled, and she held up her finger again, hoping he would understand that she would explain after. "What street are you on? Can you see?"

"Oxford Street and," Ella paused, "Regent Street. I have no idea how to get back to the hotel, Car."

"Ask somebody." Caroline tried to hide the impatience in her voice. This wasn't supposed to happen. Ella, Ryan and her were supposed to enjoy a nice, _fancy_ dinner but Ella had to ruin it for all of them; as usual.

"There's nobody here, Caroline. I'm really freaking out." Caroline could hear the panic in Ella's voice, something she rarely ever heard.

"Call Finn."

"Excuse me?" And with that, normal Ella was back. "Why would I call that asshole?"

"Because, he's from here, he lives here, he knows his way around. Just call him and ask him how to get back to the hotel from where you are."

"I'd rather get mugged out here than phone him."

"Ella, you will get mugged if you don't call him!"

Ella contemplated whether or not it was worth it. "Fine. But I swear to God I am not speaking to you ever again."

Caroline held back a laugh of relief. "Okay. Just phone him and get here safe. Please."

"Alright, stop your worrying. Bye."

"Bye." Caroline closed her phone and returned her attention to Ryan. "It was Ella, she ran out down the street when she left and she doesn't know where the hell she is or how to get back."

"Who's Finn?" Ryan asked, more concerned with him than Ella's situation.

"Just, this guy we met. He gave us his number. He's, um, a tour guide, so he knows his way around."

"Oh."

"What is it you were saying before?"

"Nothing. It can wait. Let's just order our food."

"Okay. Hopefully Ella gets back okay."

"Right. That's what we _all_ hope." Ryan winked at Caroline and she couldn't contain her laugh. Ella was something else and few people really accepted her. And even though Ryan joked about her, he accepted her.

Ella found Finn's number in her phone's history and pressed call. "Come on, pick up," she said frantically, pacing along the deserted street while the phone rang.

"Ella?" His voice was cool and void of emotion. Much different from the guy Ella had met at the pub.

"Hey. Wait, how did you know it was me?" Ella asked, genuinely curious and forgetting where she was for a second.

"I programmed it in. Why are you calling me?" Finn sounded annoyed and impatient, as though it was Ella who had hurt him.

"I'm kind of lost and I phoned Caroline and she said to phone you because you know your way around and everything but phoning you is like the last thing I wanted to do but I had no other choice. So yeah, I'm at Oxford and Regent. How can I get back to the hotel from here?"

"Oh," Finn's voice sounded more concerned than anything and Ella waited in silence when he told her to hang on.

"Okay, you need to walk along Oxford until you hit Edgware Road and then walk up Edgware and your hotel is north of there."

"Thanks. Bye"

"Wait," Finn cut her off just before she pressed end.

"What?" Now it was Ella's turn to be annoyed with Finn.

"I'm sorry. About that night."

"Don't be. It's not like you mean anything to me anyway. I just went with you to make Caroline happy. So don't worry about it; I wouldn't want you to lose sleep over it." Ella ended the call before he could feed her more lies, and she started walking, following Finn's directions.

"Ella! You're okay!" Caroline grabbed Ella into a hug as soon as she walked into the hotel room. "Ryan would be here if he was allowed; you know the rule." Ella tried to pull herself out of Caroline's arms but her hold was too tight.

"I'm fine. I wasn't that far from the hotel actually."

"Finn phoned me. Well, Jack did but he said Finn needed to talk to me," Caroline said, finally releasing Ella from her unrelenting grasp.

"What did that jerk want now?" Ella walked over to their bed and flopped down, facing the white ceiling.

Caroline lay down next to her, placing her arms across the front of her pyjama shirt.

"He wanted to know if you got here safely because you weren't answering his calls. I told him you weren't answering mine either."

"Oh, yeah my phone was off. It died." Ella jumped up and ran to get her charger. To make her argument more believable, she plugged the charger in to her phone and then into the wall.

"Right. Are you hungry? You haven't eaten yet, wanna go down and grab something from the buffet before it closes?"

"I'm okay. I'm just really tired. I think I'm gonna go shower and then go to bed. Tonight was just too exciting for me!" Ella tried to hold back her tears and was successful, until she got into the shower and the water started to warm her shivering body.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: We really hope you guys are liking the story so far and we're sorry for the delay in updating. We hope you like it... here's chapter 4!**

* * *

"Can you believe it?" Lindsay was asking Morgan about the breakfast buffet that was so neatly laid out in front of them. Caroline rolled her eyes followed by a low moan that came from Ella's lips.

"Get over it and move on," Ella began. "We're all starving."

"How could they offer just carbs? I mean, some of us," Lindsay said, eyeing Caroline, "like to watch what we eat."

"Oh, can it, Lindsay. They're called curves," Caroline nearly shouted. Lindsay looked stressed as she tried to pick her way around the fluffy, white pancakes and the toast and the croissants. She managed to find enough fruit and yogurt to fill her up until lunchtime.

Caroline and Ella continued searching through the piles of unnecessary amounts of breakfast around them. They finally came to the cereal bar. Ella went straight for the Fruit Loops while Caroline subconsciously thought about what Lindsay had said and went for a granola instead.

The two wandered around until they came to an almost empty table. Ryan and a few of his friends had snagged a rather large table, waiting for the girls to join them. One of the bulkier boys named John patted the seat beside him, looking straight at Ella. She shook her head at him but he insisted. "Come over here," John called to Ella form the end of the table. Caroline gave her a friendly nudge and pushed her gently in John's direction. Ella unwillingly but nervously found herself walking towards John. Caroline decided to give her friend a chance at some comfortable alone time with the gentleman at the far corner. She stayed close to Ryan while she ate but kept her eye on Ella who was chatting up a storm with John.

"What have you and Caroline been up to since yesterday? I haven't seen you guys around," John said.

"We've been doing some souvenir shopping, you know, looking around; getting to know the place. It's pretty amazing here," Ella replied in a surprisingly sweet tone.

"Well you guys should come walk around with us today; we'd like the company," John said, smiling contently at Ella.

"For sure," Ella said, not needing Caroline's consent.

"We were planning on visiting the London Aquarium or Hyde Park. We'll see what the weather's like and go from there," John eagerly suggested.

"Yeah, that sounds like a lot of fun." Ella suddenly became uncomfortable. Without Caroline to jump in and save her from the long conversation pause, she was helpless. She didn't know what to do all on her own because she'd never _been_ all on her own. Caroline had always been right there next to her when she didn't know what to say or do but this time she wasn't. Ella quickly glanced over at Caroline who was laughing at something Ryan had said to her. She longed for Caroline's social knowledge; her endless supply of conversation lifeboats because Ella was drowning in silence and she needed saving.

"I think Caroline needs me," Ella said, hoping her excuse would pass.

"She looks fine to me," John said with a confused expression across his plain face. His brows furrowed, unsure of Ella's nervous eyes that searched the room frantically.

"She texted me, that's why. Sometimes, when she needs something, she'll text me so that no one else can tell what's going on," Ella lied. Her words were becoming slurs and her excuse to get away from John was slipping right through her fingers. Even she didn't believe herself anymore. "I'm sorry, I have to go," she finally said.

Ella quickly rose from her seat next to John and walked over to Caroline. On her way out of the dining room, she whispered to her friend, "I'm going up to the room, Car. I don't feel well." With that, Ella disappeared through the dining room doors and was gone.

...

When Caroline had finished eating her breakfast, she made her way back up to the hotel room. Lindsay and Morgan still hadn't made it upstairs so it was only Ella and Caroline.

"What was that all about?" Caroline asked.

"You left me alone with that John guy," Ella complained, blaming Caroline for her unfortunate experience.

"I didn't leave you alone with him. He wanted you to sit next to him and he was pretty cute so I thought you should go for it. I never made you do anything and you could have said no and sat with me and Ryan."

"That's so not true. You pushed me; you made me do it before you even asked me what I thought of him."

"This is not my fault, Ell, and you know it." Caroline headed into the washroom but didn't bother closing the door; she was only brushing her teeth after all.

"If you weren't so bothered about what other people do, then maybe we wouldn't be in this position. But because you can't stand the fact that I don't want to _mingle_, here we are," Ella whined from the bed.

"That's not true at all. I don't know why you can't just try something new. I like putting myself out there and just because I think you'd like it too, does not make me a bad friend." Caroline's voice was muffled as she spoke between brush strokes.

"Well maybe you should just stop trying so hard because clearly I don't like putting myself out there as much as you do," Ella said finally, hoping their conversation would end.

Soon enough, Caroline came out of the washroom in a floral tank top under a pink cardigan, a pair of dark blue jeans and her hair in a loose French braid. She sprayed some sweet perfume in the air and then walked through the puff of scent. She looked closely at herself in the mirror by the hotel room door, playing with her cheeks and her lips in hopes of improving her reflection. Her porcelain skin against her burnt-copper hair looked doll-like and beautiful. Her round, blue eyes were wild like the ocean and her already-pink-tinted lips were plump and desirable. Ella envied Caroline's effortless attempt at beauty when really she was quite the stunner herself. She had dark hair; the kind that curls slightly when it dries naturally. Ella's warm brown eyes were friendly and comforting and her olive skin was smooth and blemish-free. But when she looked in the mirror, all she saw was a disaster in jeans.

The girls headed down to the lobby in an awkward silence. When they finally got there they exited the elevator only to see the boys wrestling on the exquisite carpet. Ella shot Caroline a dirty look of _how could you?_ Caroline ignored her and greeted the boys kindly. Ryan leaned in and hugged her; Ella stood alone waiting for Caroline to finish with her nauseating PDA.

"So, where to?" Caroline asked the group, grinning. Ella rolled her eyes at her friend's taunting phrase.

"Wherever you want, Ella," John said, looking directly at Ella with his piercing green eyes. Caroline smiled to herself, hoping her plan would work.

"I don't care," Ella replied sourly.

"What do you feel like?" John asked, hoping to get more than a three-worded reply this time.

"It honestly doesn't make a difference to me where we go." Ella's second response was just as dry as the first.

"That's better," John said, laughing at his attempt at a joke. "That was more than three words." Ella didn't find it funny.

"Why don't we wander around until we see something fun to do?" Caroline suggested casually.

"Why not?" Ella replied sarcastically. "We always do what Caroline wants."

"Then why don't you tell us what you want to do, huh?" Caroline was irritated and annoyed at Ella's sensitivity.

"I want to go back upstairs and sleep but no, you had to drag me along on your little flirtfest. Honestly, Car, if you really cared about me as a friend you wouldn't be making me go with you." The boys' eyes flitted frantically between the two _friends_ as they tried to understand what was going on.

John walked towards Ella and gently put his hands on her arms, steering her backwards and away from the group of eyes staring at her. "Ella, are you okay? It seems like this is more than going out with us guys."

"Why do you care?" she replied harshly, dropping the cutesy, polite act from their conversation at breakfast.

"Because I li-" John stopped himself quickly but shot back with another question, "Are you and Caroline in a fight or something?"

"No duh. It's pretty obvious."

"Well then come with us and just stick with me. Who says you have to talk to her at all?" He smiled at Ella and she smiled back, but only to spare his feelings. After talking to Caroline, talking to John was the last thing Ella wanted to do. But she did it anyway; to prove to Caroline once and for all that she didn't need her to talk to anyone.

The cars on the street flew by like they were in some sort of derby race and the pedestrians were screaming fans. Caroline and Ella hadn't spoken since their lobby blow-up so Ella stuck with John who made small-talk with her and Caroline walked beside Ryan who made nice company.

The large group of high school friends were frowned upon by upper-class business people and the posh British. They were rowdy, like most teenagers, but because their customs were different, their sense of humour did not seem to be appreciated.

Ella finally spoke up from the back of the wandering herd. "I'm hungry; can we find a place to eat?" It came across as more of a demand than a request. Caroline rolled her eyes, knowing Ella wouldn't be able to see from so far behind. _That girl is always hungry_, she thought to herself, _what else is new?_

John nodded his head in agreement and the other boys just groaned. "Yeah, sure," Caroline said in a condescending tone.

They continued to wander around the busy town streets, searching for an appropriate spot to eat. Ella was just about ready to agree to anything by the time they pulled over and huddled underneath a giant green canopy. They were standing just outside of a cheap and cheerful Chinese restaurant. No one had to say anything; they all just walked in, knowing that this place would do just fine.

Ella's first instinct was to sit down in the chair next to Caroline but when she saw Ryan steal the spot from her she remembered that they were in a fight. Ella stayed close to John instead because he was the only other person she knew in the large group. She might've been with Ryan during a fight but because he always took Caroline's side, she was always alone.

"How do you like London, Ella?" a tan boy asked from across the large table. Ella looked taken aback, she didn't know his name and she hadn't realized he was even on the trip. "Uh, it's nice. A bit gloomy though," she answered, looking at Caroline to see if she had heard. But Caroline was too busy laughing with Ryan to notice. _It's _me _she's supposed to be laughing with; not Ryan, _Ella thought to herself as she continued to let her thoughts engulf her. She was supposed to be enjoying herself, not fighting with her best friend. It was as though Ella's thoughts had willed Caroline to look over at her because as she thought about how wrong it was to be at odds with Caroline she glanced up at Ella with big, sad eyes.

Ella pushed her chair back, not caring about the waiter she had knocked over. She ran to the other end of the table, where Caroline was standing, waiting for her. There was no need for words, the girls just opened their arms and fell into a tight hug. They could hear loud groans and snickers from the boys watching them but neither of them, not even Ella, pulled out of the soothing embrace.

Caroline's phone in her pocket buzzed against her thigh. She jolted and then reached in to answer it. Holding her phone up to her ear, she said slowly, "Hello?"

"Hi there, it's Jack," a voice drenched in a thick British accent replied.

"Hi, Jack," Caroline said once more, sweetly.

"I was just in town and I was thinking, depending on where you are, I could pick you up and we could go for a drive?" Jack's suggestion came out more like a question than what he'd intended.

"That sounds like fun. Will Finn be there?" Caroline asked casually. Ella rolled her eyes.

Jack snickered on the other end of the phone line. "No, he's studying for his exams coming up this week." Caroline's eyebrows crossed, confused but then she remembered that the boys were in university and they lived in England so their schooling and schedules were completely different.

"Okay, so just you and me or can Ella come, too?" Caroline asked, hoping he'd say yes.

"I guess she can tag along, yeah," Jack replied after a slight hesitation. He sounded disappointed but he wasn't about to exclude anyone.

"Great. So where are you exactly?" Caroline asked, smiling teasingly at Ella.

"I'm just crossing the bridge now. Where are you?"

"The _London Bridge? _We're at this little Chinese restaurant."

"Yes, the London Bridge. Right," Jack said, knowing exactly where Caroline was.

"How long do you think you'll be?" Caroline asked.

"Fifteen minutes," Jack answered, so sure of himself.

"Perfect; we'll be waiting outside." Caroline smiled before saying goodbye and then put her phone into her messenger bad that was slung across her shoulder instead of her pocket.

Ella spun around, pretending she was in a mood again with Caroline but they both knew she was just fooling around. "Come on," Caroline practically pleaded. "It will be fun; even though Finn won't be there."

Ella gave Caroline a look. "For you," Caroline continued, correcting herself.

"I don't like Finn," Ella said back.

"Exactly; he won't be there."

"What? I'm so confused," Ella complained.

"Never mind, I know what I'm saying," Caroline huffed. Ella walked to her seat, grabbed her coin purse that was sitting on the table in front of John's place setting and then joined Caroline at her seat near Ryan once more.

"I thought you were going to spend the day with us," Ryan said, disappointed, focusing his attention on Caroline because he didn't mind if Ella stayed or left.

"Someone made a better offer," Ella said, putting John's feeling out of sight and out of mind.

"Who?" Ryan asked, concerned, wondering who he was competing with.

"Just these people we met," Caroline replied vaguely. She was hoping to leave the restaurant without having to explain herself with too much detail.

"Who is it, Car?" Ryan asked once more, the fury gathering in his cloudy, gray eyes.

"This guy, Jack and his brother Finn," Caroline said quietly.

"They're twins," Ella continued, adding to Ryan's pile of reasons to be jealous.

"Are you sure it's smart to wander around with two guys you just met?" He looked down, trying to hide his disappointment by hiding his face. But it was still evident in his voice.

"Ryan, we'll be fine." Caroline grabbed his hands and he looked up into her pleading eyes. "Please don't be mad at me," she said softly. He nodded and pulled his hands away, more pain in his eyes than anger.

"Well do you want me to come with you at least?" he asked, still trying to win Caroline's attention.

"Ry, we'll be fine! Honest!" Caroline joked but Ryan's frown was still printed across his face.

"Hey, Ella! Where are you going?" John called out as he made his way towards the girls and Ryan.

"Caroline and I are just going out somewhere. Alone," she said hesitantly. The girls could trust Ryan but if John knew the details he might "accidently" let it slip to Mrs. Anchory.

"Oh. I thought you were going to spend the day with us."

"That's what I said!" Ryan chimed. The boys started laughing and going on about their _jinx_ moment and the girls took their chance and fled the quaint restaurant, not stopping until they were out of the boys' possible sight.

"That was close," Caroline said once they were safe.

"Oh well," Ella replied. As if the boys knowing the truth made a difference to her.

Ella and Caroline waited near a telephone booth around the corner from the restaurant. The roads were jam-packed with shiny, black cars and drivers who were constantly honking their horns. Everywhere they turned, they saw more and more people coming at them. The only thing was; they weren't coming towards them. Ella and Caroline were from a small-town where the most action they'd get was in the diner down the road on a Saturday night. They weren't used to the big city rush. They weren't used to the freedom and liberty. But most of all, they couldn't get used to the fact that even though they'd been there for three days, there was so much they still hadn't seen; parts of town that had yet to be discovered.

A wave of excitement rushed over Caroline when she caught bits of conversations that were washed in heavy accents. Ella stood patiently, gazing around the block, looking for something to take her mind off everything that had happened with Finn. It had already been three days since then but it was all she could think about still. Caroline was a good distraction but when she was distracted, Ella found herself struggling to stay above ground. It was like she was slowly slipping away into an empty space. Her mind was running wild and if she didn't stop it soon, her thoughts would soon take complete control of her life.

"Are you okay?" Caroline asked Ella, snapping her out of her daze.

"What? Me? Yeah, I'm fine," Ella responded hesitantly.

Caroline looked closely at Ella and then backed away with slight concern. Ella shrugged her off so Caroline decided not to push.

Soon enough, a navy blue Mini-Cooper pulled up in front of Ella and Caroline. Jack stepped out of the car and greeted Ella with a smile and a wave. He walked towards Caroline, hugged her, then pulled away and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Caroline pretended to enjoy his friendliness.

Ella slipped into the backseat where she found herself sitting next to a boy. But it wasn't just any boy – it wasn't Jack either, he was outside the car with Caroline – it was Finn. Ella flinched and pulled back, but Finn insisted on moving closer to her. Finn slid across the seat until his thigh was pressed up against Ella's. Her small legs were tight against the car door and she struggled to relax. Every muscle in her body was stiff and ached with an unexplainable throbbing pain.

"About the other night," Finn began but Ella cut him off.

"Don't," she said forcefully, hoping Finn would drop it.

"Look," Finn said, ignoring Ella. "I was wrong. What I did, it was stupid and it would have worked on any other girl-"

"Are you kidding me?" Ella spat, finally turning to face Finn straight on.

"Let me finish," Finn said quietly. "It didn't work on you because you're different. You're not like all those other girls and to be honest-"

"Yeah, because you're so good at that," Ella interrupted again.

"Hey," Finn said. "To be honest, I wouldn't have wanted to actually get to know you if you had just let me do what I want. Now, I have to work hard and I want to because you're worth it."

Ella turned to face Finn again. Her eyes were wide because she was in shock. "You're just saying that to make me feel better," Ella lied. Finn's charm was getting to her but she didn't want him to know because then he'd just take advantage of her all over again.

Finn opened his mouth to speak when Jack opened the passenger door for Caroline. She slipped in to the front seat, turned around and smiled. "Finn," she said, "I didn't know you were going to be here." Caroline's smile was a mile wide.

"Yeah, Jack picked me up on the way. He didn't want Ella to be all alone."

"Why would she be alone? I'm here," Caroline said, confused. Finn just shrugged his shoulders knowing exactly why Ella would have been left out. Ella turned away from everyone and stared out the window. All of a sudden, drops of rain began tapping and patting against the pane. The sound was comforting to Ella. She loved the rain and when she heard it beating down on the window in a car, watched it drip down to the bottom of the glass; where it meets the rubber seal.

Ella licked her lips, in desperate need of lip balm. Finn noticed her and slipped his hand into his pocket. He pulled out a still-sealed ChapStick. He reached across the back seat, after moving back to his original place, and put the small tube in Ella's hand. She looked at him, puzzled, and said, "Why did you give me this?"

"Because you need it," Finn said, hoping he hadn't offended her. Instead, Ella smiled sweetly at Finn and for the first time, she was grateful that he was around. She accepted his small gesture and broke the plastic seal on the lid. When she was applying a thick coat of the balmy gel to her lips, she smiled.

Up in the front seat, Caroline was constantly changing the radio station. They hadn't been in a car since they'd left Canada and the stations were all different. Caroline couldn't decide on anything so Jack inserted a homemade mix CD and pressed play. Caroline sunk back in her seat and pressed her head against the rest behind it. They had been driving for twenty minutes already but the minutes were going by like years for Caroline and Ella wished she could slow time down.

Jack would occasionally reach over to Caroline's seat and put his hand on her knee. It wouldn't have bothered her if it was Finn touching her, not Jack. Ella had invited Finn to come sit closer to her and he wasn't about to throw away his chance at a relationship with her.

"I don't want you to leave," Finn whispered into Ella's ear. Finn was close to Ella; so close she could feel his every breath against her neck. Caroline hadn't look in the back seat until she glanced in the side mirror, checking for traffic and caught a glimpse of Finn's body tight against Ella's.

"I don't have to leave for another three weeks," Ella whispered back to Finn. The music was loud enough to mask the faint sound of their voices.

"It's going to go by so fast," Finn whimpered.

"Stop complaining," Ella said, returning to her harsh tone.

"I'm not, I'm not," Finn smiled. Then he ran his fingers up Ella's thigh but she caught his hand in hers and let out a loud laugh.

"What's so funny?" Caroline asked, letting the jealousy get to her.

"Nothing," Finn said. "I was just telling Ella a joke. It wasn't really that funny," he continued.

"Oh. What was the joke?" Caroline asked, not entirely interested but wanting to keep Finn's attention off of Ella and on her.

"I forget," Finn mumbled, staring into Ella's eyes and grinning. _Why did I invite Ella? _Caroline thought as she sunk a little farther down in the comfy seat. Jack looked over at her and frowned. This wasn't going the way he was hoping. Ella wasn't supposed to be here and neither was Finn but when he had heard Ella was coming he begged Jack to let him come too. This was supposed to be a romantic time for Jack and Caroline, a time when they could get to know each other better and maybe delve into their feelings for each other. But no, he had to be Mr. Nice Guy and invite both of them along for the ride.

"So, where should we go?" Jack asked Caroline, breaking the silence between them.

"I don't know. You're the British one," Caroline said back sarcastically.

"Right, sorry." Caroline sighed sadly when she heard the enthusiasm fall from Jack's voice and she looked over at him and smiled. "Is there mini golf around here? I love mini golf, especially in the rain."

Jack smiled back, obviously forgiving Caroline for her snappy tone, "Yeah I know the perfect place." He turned onto an empty driveway and turned the car around, going into the opposite direction.

"I want to do something, just the two of us," Finn whispered in Ella's ear while Caroline and Jack continued talking in the front, oblivious to the two behind them.

"Like what?" Ella's heart started thumping and she tried to keep it from jumping out of her chest. The last time they had been alone Finn just wanted her body. Why should she trust him again? Even if his eyes were clear and his hands soft and her arm, his breath soft on her neck.

"Like, go out for dinner, and maybe, head back to our place-"

"You jerk. You fucking jerk. I can't believe you!" Ella yelled as she pushed Finn off of her. Caroline turned her head towards them, surprised but also relieved that things were no longer working out between them. Jack kept his eyes on the road but it was obvious he felt awkward by Ella's outburst at his brother's comment.

"What? Ella! No you didn't let me finish!" Finn tried to calm her down but it was no use. She wasn't listening to his excuses this time.

"I don't care! You expect me to believe you want to get to know and you think I'm different when all along you still just want me to sleep with you?! No, Jack stop the car I'm getting out!"

"Ella, I can't pull over."

"Jack! Now!" Jack swerved in front of a car quickly and looked guilty when the car honked at his dangerous driving.

As soon as the car stopped moving Ella pushed opened the door and slammed it shut, running back in the direction they had come. Finn tried to get out after her but Jack stopped him. "Leave her, Finn. Just let her cool down." Caroline sat still, silently wishing it was her that Finn wanted to run out after and pour his heart out to. But she knew he was into Ella. So why didn't Ella realize it?


	5. Chapter 5

Caroline sat in silence; the silence Ella had left her in. Finn was still outside the car, searching the horizon for a running shadow. Jack remained in the front seat, not so concerned for Ella's safety. His eyes were fixed on Caroline strained neck. Caroline was twisting around in her seat, her chest rose and fell with every distressed breath, her skin tight and soft.

It was still raining, even harder now, but Finn wasn't returning to the warmth of the car. He stood with his hands on his hips, limp and lifeless, his eyes fixated on the ground. He hung his head, embarrassed as he went over everything that had happened. Finn had never spent so much time and effort thinking about someone other than himself.

"Are you hungry?" Jack finally asked, breaking the still silence.

"Jesus, Jack, what's wrong with you?" Caroline shouter, disgusted by his ignorance.

"I'm sorry, I just didn't know if you wanted me to bring it up or not," Jack said, feeling ashamed.

"No, I'm sorry," Caroline said, realizing the harshness in her tone before. "I didn't mean to snap at you I just hate it when she does this."

"Does it happen often?" Jack asked.

"Ella's really sensitive. She takes everything so personally."

"I'm sure she doesn't mean any harm," Jack offered, trying to comfort Caroline. He reached over and stroked her fingertips, but she pulled away.

"She might not _mean_ it but that doesn't mean she _doesn't_ cause any harm," Caroline pouted. She gazed out the window at Finn, longing for his affection. Caroline always wanted the wrong people; the people that didn't want her. When she was fifteen, she fell head over heels for Cam Pearson. Cam ignored her whenever she tried to talk to him but all the other boys never took their eyes off Caroline. She got lots of attention but she didn't want anyone's affection but Cam's. His attention was a prize; something she worked hard for but never won.

Finn slowly started to walk back towards the car. His head was still low and he never looked up once until he was inside, sitting in the back again. Finn lifted his head and looked at Jack. "What did I do wrong?" he asked.

"I dunno, mate."

"She hates me; Ella officially hates me," Finn said more to himself than anyone else.

"I don't hate you," Caroline said to Finn.

"That doesn't matter." Finn spat his words at Caroline.

"I'm sorry, I thought it would make you feel better," Caroline said, half-apologizing. Suddenly, she was in Jack's position.

"Nothing can make me feel better now except Ella's forgiveness," Finn said, returning his stare to the floor of the car.

Ella ran down the street, her feet not stopping until she was sure she was no longer in sight of the car. She hated herself for every trusting Finn in the first place. She shouldn't have gone out with Caroline and she was only kidding herself when she thought he might actually like him. She didn't care if Caroline wanted her to hang out with Finn so she could spend time with Jack; she was done with him.

She finally came to a stop outside of a tiny book store that looked deserted. There was no other way for Ella to get home now except to take a taxi. She checked her wallet and saw she had about 20 pounds so she went into the book store, the bell on the door ringing quietly as though it was surprised to see a customer come through.

Ella's nose filled with dust almost immediately and she couldn't stop coughing until she got to the middle of the store, away from the door. It was as though there was a cloud of dust hanging in the air, challenging customers to pass through it.

There was a dark green carpet that was so old that dust flew out of it whenever Ella stepped down. There were no walls; as far as Ella could tell they were all book shelves, covered with hundreds of books. She made her way to the nearest shelf and saw a yellowed sign describing the genre in an old-fashioned font; mystery. Ella's favourite. Her eyes flitted up and down, side to side as she took in all the books, only slightly imagining what wonders they could hold inside their old pages.

She was just about to reach for one that sounded interesting when a voice from behind her spoke up. It startled her so much she jumped.

"What do ye want?" the gruff voice said. Ella turned around cautiously and her eyes fell upon an old woman who looked to be about 80. She was standing in front of a dark wooden door, which Ella presumed was the door to the back room. Her grey hair was pulled back in a tight bun and her hand rested upon a red cane. Her voice sounded hoarse and rough and Ella didn't believe it should belong to a woman so fragile and small.

"I-I'm just wondering if you could give me the number for a taxi? See, I'm trying to get back to my hot-" The woman shook her head and Ella could see a small smirk on her thin lips.

"American are ye?" she asked as she walked away from the door and towards a counter near the front window.

"No, Canadian," Ella said, standing a little bit taller as she corrected the woman.

"Same thing," the woman said, waving her hand.

"Not really," Ella mumbled.

"Huh?"

"Nothing. Can I just have the number for a taxi please?"

"Why should I give it to ye? You tourists are always wandering around like you own the place and you never talk to us Brits unless you need something!"

"Please, why can't you just give it to me?"

"I just told ye why not."

"Fine, I'm sure someone else will be willing to help me." Ella started back towards the door, regretting not being able to buy any books, but stopped when the woman spoke again.

"Alright I'll help ye. If ye do something for me."

"Fine. What do you want me to do?" Ella hated doing anything that required patience or energy and she knew she would not enjoy what this woman was going to make her do.

"I need you to take some of the new books I got and put them on that back shelf. The one that's half empty." The woman pointed to a shelf at the very back of the story and Ella saw that it housed romance novels. She rolled her eyes and reluctantly followed the woman into the stock room to get the boxes of books.

Ella was about half way down stocking the shelf when the woman spoke up again from the front of the small store.

"What's yer name?"

"Ella," she replied instantly, as though it was an instinct.

"Well, Ella, I'm Margie. Margie Green. And this here is my bookstore. I know it may seem like it shouldn't be open but that's only because I haven't had any customers for a while now. I don't know what it is I did wrong but one day, the people just stopped coming in. They'd pass by the store and glance in through the window but none of them came inside. Except for you. Why'd you come in here, Ella?"

"What do you mean? Is it illegal to seek help when you're lost?" Ella snapped, less than intrigued by the woman's story.

"Now don't get cheeky with me. I just want to know; why did ye come in here when you could've gone down to Bobby's pub or Lisa's dress shop right next door?"

Ella didn't answer. She just sat thinking. Why had she come into this particular shop when she could tell from the outside that nobody else ever did? "I guess it's because, well I've always been drawn to books. I mean, I love to read, much more than drinking or buying dresses."

The woman didn't answer but Ella could hear a faint laugh as she turned her attention back to the shelf and continued to mount the books onto it, one by one.

When Ella had finally finished she was feeling light headed from the thick, musty air that made it hard for her to breathe. She put the box into the back room where she had found it and made her way to the front desk to get what she had come for; the taxi cab number.

"Here ye go. Tell them you're at Cassidy Books and they'll know the address." The woman slid a piece of paper across the counter and headed to the storage room, leaving Ella to herself. She picked up the paper and underneath she found a 10 pound note. She didn't want to take it but if she did that would mean she'd have enough to get back to the hotel and be able to buy the book she'd seen. She called the cab and relayed the name of the shop then she went back to get the book she had been eyeing.

When the taxi pulled up in front of the store, Ella took her time in walking outside to get it, not caring about how wet she was getting from the heavy rain. Her awful day had ended perfectly, she thought, as she left Margie, her many wonderful books and the 10 pound note behind.

The smell of fresh rain filled the air and drops of spring rain fell from tree branches, splashing to the ground. There were muddy puddles lining the ditches on either side of the highway as Jack ripped down the empty road. Caroline sat silently in the car with the twins. She could feel the heavy loud of tension hovering over them but she tried to ignore it. The radio was humming in the background but the silence turned the faint buzz into a blaring rage of sound.

Caroline just stared out of the window. Finn was in the back playing his zipper; undoing his zip-up hoodie and then doing it up again. Jack was steering cautiously as the car moved down the freeway.

No one spoke, no one sneezed, no one laughed or smiled. The car ride was silent. Jack opened his mouth to say something but then closed it again before something stupid that he would regret could escape his lips. They finally arrived at the indoor mini-putt centre. Caroline stepped out of the car and waited for Jack to lead her in. She had no idea where they were after all.

"Right this way," Jack said, guiding Caroline to the front door. Finn followed behind the pair. He walked slowly and purposeless. All Finn wanted was Ella by his side. He didn't want to mini-putting without her. He wanted to guide her swing with one hand on her waist and one arm around hers.

The air-conditioned building was cool and dark. There were lights on the walls that were glowing and bright; almost too bright to absorb. The music was loud and practically unbearable. Caroline's head ached with pain. The rain, the gloomy gray skies and the booming, echoing music was the throbbing inside her head.

Jack walked to the counter and paid for an hour and a half of playing time. He grabbed three putters and three golf balls. He headed back to Caroline and Finn who were standing by the entrance, waiting for him.

"Let's get started," Caroline said, trying to find her cheer.

"Let's get this over with," Finn said, correcting Caroline.

"Come on, guys. I know you both wish Ella could be here but she's not. That doesn't mean we can't have fun without her," Jack said, hoping to regain the happiness that existed before.

"He's right, Finn. We don't need Ella to have a god time. She ruined her own day; we can't let her ruin our day," Caroline said, not taking her eyes off of Finn. She gave him a smile but he was looking down at the floor the whole time. He never lifted his head to look into her eyes.

"She didn't ruin my day; I ruined her day," Finn said, his voice barely louder than a whisper.

Jack sighed but didn't comment. Before Caroline could respond to what Finn had said Jack opened another door and ushered them inside to the first hole. "Let's play. Finn and I can settle our golfing feud and Caroline can judge which one of us is better." He started to chuckle but he stopped when nobody joined him.

The first hole was decorated with 70's flowers and peace signs but Caroline wasn't feeling the love. How could she? She loved Finn but Finn loved Ella. Why couldn't Finn just love her? Things would be perfect and they would be all mini-putting together and Finn would be thinking about _her_.

They reached the tenth hole and Caroline was having trouble setting up for the hit. Before swinging an idea popped into her head; Finn could help her. Caroline could help Finn get over Ella by getting him to fall for her instead. "Hey, Finn, I need help. How can I hit this?" Caroline looked over at him, leaning one arm on the golf club and using the other to twirl her hair.

"What?" Finn looked over, a lost, absent minded look in his eyes, "I don't know, I'm not good at golf."

"I can help you, Caroline," Jack said, smiling. Caroline just frowned. "I got it actually. Thanks though." She turned her attention back to the hole and hit the ball lightly. It hit the wall and bounced around aimlessly. Caroline hung her head in mock shame and turned around expecting Jack to comment but he was staring at his feet. Caroline glanced at Finn and he was in the same position.

"Okay you guys. We're almost done the course and we're all still in such a down mood. Let's try to cheer up okay?" Caroline forced her voice to stay positive but it faltered a bit at the end when she realized how ridiculous she sounded.

"Look, I can't cheer up because Ella's not here and she hates me again and I don't even know what I did wrong this time!" Finn's voice grew louder as he told all he was feeling.

Caroline and Jack just stood and stared at Finn and before either of them knew what was happening, Finn bolted back to the front door, leaving his golf club and ball behind. "Finn! Finn where are you going?!" Caroline called after him but he was already gone and couldn't hear her pleading for him to come back.

Jack and Caroline followed Finn out to the parking lot. They found him sitting on the pavement by the parking metre. His face was against his forearms, hanging between his knees. He was gripping to his hair with his fists. His knuckles were white with anger and rage. Finn was disappointed with himself but he also wasn't sure he understood what it was he said that offended Ella.

"What happened?" Jack asked, concerned for his brother's well-being.

Caroline was less than interested. She didn't want to hear why Finn was so distressed and upset over what had happened with Ella. She wanted Finn to worry about what he was doing wrong with her.

"I can't do this. I can't be here without her; I need her," Finn said. He was talking more to himself than anyone else. He was mumbling and whispering; Jack could barely hear his voice over the roaring cars driving by.

"You really like her, don't you?" Caroline asked, mostly to herself than Finn. They were all realizing things and the only people who needed to hear it were themselves.

"What made you finally see that?" Finn was asking a clearly rhetorical question but Caroline thought it necessary to respond.

"The fact that you don't say my name the way you say hers. How you worry about where she is and the things you do around her; you analyze every move you make, hoping it was the right one."

Finn looked up at Caroline who was looking down. She was staring at her feet; the bright red converse against the hash, coal-coloured concrete.

...

The taxi pulled up in front of their hotel and Ella jumped out and ran through the door after paying the silent driver. When she walked out of the cold rain and into the warm, dry hotel lobby she saw I, John and the rest of their friends; the boys that Caroline had rudely ditched earlier that day. I noticed Ella as she tried to sneak past them to get to the elevator. He called her over and suddenly all the boys were looking at her, judging her.

"Ella! Where have you been? And where's Caroline?" I said as Ella made her way slowly towards the boys.

"I was just out. And I don't know where Caroline is, okay? I'm not her mother; she can do things without me you know."

"Okay, sorry." Usually I was more tolerant to Ella's rude tone and snappy comments but he was still hurt that the girls had ditched him for two other guys.

"Did you have fun, wherever you were?" It was John. His face looked calm and his voice was sincere but his eyes gave away his pain. The same pain I was feeling.

"Yeah, I guess so. I wish I had stayed with you guys though," Ella said, surprised by her honesty. John's face changed completely as his lips turned up into a huge grin. Ella smiled back and felt herself relax for the first time all day. Why hadn't she realized before that John was kinder, sweeter and more of a gentleman that Finn would ever be?

"What did you guys do today anyway?"Ella asked, her eyes not leaving John's.

"We were going to go to the London Zoo but it was raining so we just went back to Big Ben and then came back here." Ella didn't know who had answered her but she didn't really care. She was more interested in John's eyes and face and _lips._

She leaned closer to John and whispered in his ear, "I really _hate_ big crowds like this." John understood immediately and made an excuse for why he and Ella were leaving together. The boys didn't seem to care. All except I. He glared at John as he grabbed Ella's hand and they walked to the elevator together. Even though Ella wasn't the best friend a guy could have, I still cared about her and he didn't want her to get hurt.

Ella was hoping the elevator would be empty but two people got onto it with her and John and rode with them to Ella's floor. Boys weren't supposed to be on the girl's floor but they doubted I Anchory was around to see them. Ella led John to her and Caroline's room, silently praying that Lindsay and Morgan were out. They were.

"Nice room," John said casually when they were both seated on one of the beds, their knees touching.

"Isn't it the exact same as yours?" Ella said, holding back on her usual sarcastic tone.

"Yeah. I guess it is."

There was an awkward silence for a few minutes and then the urge overcame Ella and she turned her head to face John. He was already looking at her. Their eyes locked and Ella threw her lips onto John's. There was no connection, no spark, like there had been with Finn. But Ella didn't care. She needed this comfort; she needed to know that _somebody _wanted her for her. John did, right? Ella was the one who had suggested they come up to her room and John had only wanted to get to know Ella.

Ella's hands started on John's neck and then trailed down his back. When she reached the bottom of his shirt she tugged on it lightly and he nodded into their kisses. She could feel her arms moving John's shirt up his body but she wasn't controlling them. Why would she take it farther with John when she hadn't wanted to go this far with Finn?

As confused as Ella was, she didn't stop. Not until John's shirt was off his averagely toned body and on the floor in front of them. She could feel John tugging at her own shirt and she hesitated before giving in. John was different; he wasn't taking advantage of her like Finn had, she repeated to herself over and over again as John gently pulled her shirt off of her.

When they were both shirtless, Ella turned on top of John and pushed him down onto the bed. She didn't want to go that far with him yet but a topless make-out session _was_ pretty hot.

"Ella."John pulled his lips from Ella's but leaned his forehead on hers.

"Why'd you stop?" Ella panted quietly.

"Why are you doing this? This morning you were less than interested in me, and now we're making out half naked."

Ella sighed and pulled back. She was frustrated and hurt. Why wasn't John just taking what she was giving? Why did she need a reason to want to kiss him?

"I just realized that you're pretty sexy and sweet too. Is it a crime to change your mind?" John smiled cheekily at Ella and they fell right back into place. Ella opened her lips slightly, inviting John in but his tongue never left his mouth because as soon as Ella beckoned for his tongue to enter her mouth the door to the hotel room swung open.

"Ella?!"It was Caroline, and she did not look impressed to see her friend lying topless on some random guy from their class. On their _shared_ bed no less.

"Caroline? What are you doing back already?" Ella said as she jumped off of John, a guilty look on her face.

"That shouldn't matter. Why are you and," Caroline glanced at the body on the bed, "John making out in here? I Anchory would send you both home if she found out!"

"Which is why you can't tell her!" Ella pleaded. She started to walk towards Caroline but stopped when she remembered she was just in her bra and jeans.

"Why are you doing this, Ella? Are you trying to prove me wrong?" Caroline's tone changed from concerned to confused.

"What do you mean prove you wrong? About what?"

"About Finn." Ella's body froze when Caroline said his name. "I get it, he hurt you, but you don't have to go rubbing it in my face!"

"What? Caroline I-"

"You know he's really sorry and it's killing him that you won't forgive him! Why can't you just give him another chance?!" Caroline's voice was angry now.

"Give him another chance? Give him another chance?! I gave him another chance and he blew it, again! Why should I forgive him? All he is is a huge jerk who only cares about one thing; sex!"

"You don't know that, Ella! You barely know the guy! Just give him a chance instead of rubbing it in both of our faces by sleeping with John!"

"What?! How is this," Ella gestured to John on the bed, "sleeping with him? And rubbing_ what_ in both of your faces?!"

"You're just using him! Did you expect Finn to walk in on you and see you guys and feel the pain he caused you to feel?" Caroline questioned, her voice flat.

"Is that true, Ella? There's another guy? You're just using him to make him jealous?" John was standing up now, his shirt in his hand, his sad eyes on Ella.

"Shut up, John. Just, I'm trying to talk to Caroline okay?"

"You know what, Ella? I thought you were so cool and different than every other frigging girl here. But you know what? You're just like them; you're a bitch." With that, John stormed past Ella, pushed his way past Caroline and slammed the door behind him as he walked out of the hotel room, leaving the two girls speechless.

"Great. Just great," Ella said as she lowered herself back on the edge of the bed. She picked up her shirt and quickly put it back on, suddenly embarrassed in front of Caroline.

"Ella, I didn't mean for him to leave. I just, I didn't have a very good day and I should've waited until he was gone to talk to you." Caroline apologized awkwardly but Ella just shook her head as the silent tears made their way down her cheeks.

"You have nothing to be sorry about. You're right, Caroline. Everything you said, you're right!" Ella couldn't hold the sobs any longer and she started crying into the palms of her hands.

Caroline rushed over to Ella's side and started to rub her back soothingly. "What happened, Ella? Why were you with John?"

Ella took a minute to calm down before explaining herself to Caroline, "I got back to the hotel and saw John and I and all those guys and I thought, wow, John likes me. Like actually _likes_ me. And I realized that Finn, well he had left a hole in my heart when he hurt me and I thought that well, John could fill that hole. So I brought him up here and we started to kiss and _I_ was the one who started to take his shirt off first.

"God I'm such a friggin' hypocrite! There I was getting mad at Finn for moving so quickly when he just met me and then I was moving just as fast with John, who I barely know! Why am I such an idiot, Caroline?"

"You're not. You were just hurt and you felt neglected and alone and John just happened to be there, willing to help you feel wanted." The girls sat in silence for another few minutes before Ella hugged Caroline. "Thank you, Car," she whispered into Caroline's shoulder. Then Ella stood up and went into the bathroom. After a few minutes Caroline heard the water from the shower going and she changed into a pair of sweatpants and a long sleeve shirt for dinner. She couldn't bother getting too dressed up. Ella and her were just going to eat at the hotel buffet tonight and she didn't care how she looked as long as the food was good and her friend and her had a good time.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Hi! We're really happy that you guys seem to be enjoying the story and we hope you continue to enjoy it! :D Thanks all of you and here's chapter 6!**

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Today, being Monday, was the first day of the students' newest adventure in England; school. The students, no matter what their schedules were at home, all had to take the same courses; math, English, phys ed and French. Caroline and Ella were ecstatic to learn that they were in two out of the four classes together.

All the kids had to wake up at 6:45, giving them an hour and a half to get ready and fifteen minutes to get to the school. Caroline woke up at 6:00; her first day jitters forbidding her to sleep any longer. So she lay in the bed next to a lightly snoring Ella and thought about how much she had changed in the three days she'd been in London. She felt more confident about herself, less of a wimp than she had been before. She also felt hope, hope that someday her and Finn could end up together without the discrimination and ridicule she could only expect from Ella.

At exactly 6:43am Mrs. Anchory knocked on their bedroom door and yelled for them all to wake up, her voice muffled by the thick wood. Caroline shot out of bed, happy for an excuse to be up, and ran for the shower. She didn't need to race to get there first because her three room-mates were still sound asleep. _I'll wake them up when I'm done in the bathroom_, she thought as she slipped into the warm shower.

As soon as Ella heard the running water from the bathroom she was awake. But she didn't want to be. She hated school, whether it was in Canada or in Britain, and she hated the first day the most. Especially the big deal everyone made about how they looked. Ella didn't care what people thought about her if their opinions were based off of where her clothes were from or how she wore her hair. But as much as she hated to admit it, she was a little nervous about today. She wouldn't be at her school back home where she knew everyone and everyone knew her. This school was British and posh and full of snobby London kids, no doubt.

She dragged herself to the tall, dark, wooden dresser across the hotel room. She opened the first drawer, the one she had claimed as her own when she had finally gotten around to unpacking her suitcase, and pulled out a clean pair of dark-wash skinny jeans and her favourite t-shirt; a Pink Floyd concert tee from her mom. It was the only shirt her mom had ever given to her. The only_thing _her mom had given her in the short two months she had lived with Ella and her dad. Her mom had left as soon as she could once Ella was born. She was the one who didn't want the baggage of having a kid at only seventeen, so she left Ella with her dad and his supportive parents. Her mom only came back once, to "visit" Ella. Ella was only ten when she visited but she knew the real reason her _mother_ was there; to get money from her naive dad.

Ella pushed the thought out of her head as she pulled the shirt down her body. When she heard the shower stop she pulled the shirt off again and ran to the bathroom door. Lindsay and Morgan were still asleep and she knew she wouldn't be able to shower once they were awake.

"Ella, you're up! I was just about to wake you," Caroline said as they switched places and she made her way to her previously chosen outfit; white jean capris, a light blue button up long sleeve and a navy cardigan. She put her clothes on, subconsciously covering her chest though there was nobody around to see anything, and started to comb her thick hair. She had just finished drying it when Ella came out of the bathroom again, fully dressed with her hair tangled and wet.

"They're still asleep? It's," Ella paused to glance at the clock on the bedside table, "7:15. Should we wake them up? They'll be late if we don't."

Caroline gasped and looked up, surprised Ella actually cared about Lindsay and Morgan, then smiled when she saw Ella's mischievous grin.

"Wake who? Let's go." The girls walked out of the hotel room and grabbed the backpacks they had organised the night earlier, on their way out. They made sure to close the door extra quietly behind them.

"Ella, Caroline, where are your room-mates?" Mrs. Anchory asked, her voice raspy as she called to them from the other end of the line of students, all tired and dreading getting on the bus and taking them to their metaphorical prison.

"We told them to wake up and they said they'd be down in five minutes," Caroline said back sweetly. Ella tried to hide her smile but was unsuccessful.

"Anna, Kara, can you please go to room," Mrs. Anchory addressed the list on her clipboard briefly before continuing, "508 and wake Lindsay and Morgan up? The rest of us will be on the bus waiting. If the four of you aren't back in five minutes we will leave without you and you will spend the day with me!"Mrs. Anchory smirked at the poor girls and Ella swore she heard her cackle.

"Ella Rhodes, please sit down!"Their new math teacher, Mr. Carlton, was not impressed with Ella's lack of manners and it showed by the deep red colour of his face.

"Sorry, sir," Ella said in a mocking British accent as she moved away from Caroline's desk and back to her own.

Caroline and Ella had made it through their first morning of school in London but they still had two periods ahead of them; math and gym for Ella, French for Caroline. In their first period, English, Caroline had been hit on by three guys, none cuter than Finn to say the least, and Ella had been tripped by a prissy blond girl as she made her way to an empty seat. Caroline had to grab Ella by both arms to keep her from hitting the girl so hard her pounds of makeup would come off.

Now they were sitting in math class, with ten minutes left, and Ella was getting anxious. She was worried about gym class. At their small school back home they had always had gym with the boys so the idea of being in a class with only a female population was getting to her. She was better at interacting with boys even though she was no good at that either.

When the bell finally rang Ella stayed seated until Caroline came and pulled her out of the plastic chair. "What's wrong? You were having a blast this morning and you seemed pretty happy with the food at lunch. So what's the matter?"

"Caroline, I can't do gym without you. I don't know how to interact with girls, you know that. I wouldn't know what to say to anyone and besides, I suck at gym anyway. How about we both skip last period?" Ella looked up at Caroline with frantic eyes when they got out into the crowded hallway.

"Ella, we can't skip. It's only the first day. We can do this," Caroline said convincingly.

"Fine, but you can't sit with Ryan at lunch anymore; you have to sit with me," Ella bargained.

"But – I – ugh, fine." Caroline moaned.

"Thanks! Now let's get to class," Ella said, completely changing her tune. "What room are you in?"

"307. Third floor."

"I'm down on the bottom floor. See you after school! I will meet you at the doors we came in this morning, okay?" Caroline nodded and the girls parted ways when they got to the busy staircase.

Ella continued down the stairs all the way to the bottom and she felt her stomach flop with nerves when she saw the cluster of girls in their tight booty shorts and their spaghetti-strap tank tops. Their long ponytails swung back and forth as they talked to each other, laughing and smiling as though gym class was just another walk in the park. Ella groaned and rolled her eyes. Why was gym a required subject on this stupid trip? How different could it be from gym class in North America?

She walked over to who she presumed to be the teacher and was about to ask where the change rooms were when the woman pulled out a silver whistle and blasted it in Ella's ear.

"Girls, enough talking! Let's start, shall we? We have some students with us who are visiting from Canada so let's make them feel welcome! We'll start with our regular warm-up; a five minute jog around the track and then thirty push-ups and thirty sit-ups. Go!" The teacher blew the whistle again and the girls broke out into a_jog_. The teacher, who was short and muscular with a tight ponytail and all Nike clothing walked over to a bench at the side of the gym and started to look at her clipboard. Ella followed her and when the teacher didn't look up at her Ella cleared her throat loudly.

"Why aren't you running?"she asked, never looking up to see that Ella was one of the visiting Canadians.

"Um, I don't know, maybe because I don't know where the change room is so I can't yet?" Ella snapped, frustrated with the imbecile in front of her. Ella saw the teacher's face change from angry to guilty when she realized Ella's accent wasn't British.

"Oh, you're one of the new students. I'm sorry, dear. Come on, the change room is right over here. And take your time, okay?" the teacher said kindly, ushering Ella towards a door out of the gym and into a short hallway. Ella looked at both doors at the end of the hallway; one said BOYS and the other, GIRLS. She pushed the heavy door open that led to the girl's change room and sighed. This was going to be the longest three weeks of her life.

When Caroline got to her French class, it looked as though she was the last one to arrive. She walked in, her cheeks burning as she stood in front of everyone and walked to the teacher's desk on the far side of the musty smelling classroom.

"Um, hi. I'm Caroline Lawrence. I'm on the exchange program." Caroline heard oohs and ahs from her new classmates and felt herself relax a little bit. She was the new kid but this time she was the _cool_ new kid. The foreign one with the interesting accent and different customs. The kids were going to love her here. She could just feel it.

"Excuse-moi? Oh, yes, of course. You can take a seat there, beside Will," the young teacher said, pointing to an angry-looking boy near the back of the room. Caroline remembered reading that the teacher's name was Ms. Lockhart and she thought the name suited her perfectly.

"Hi, I'm Caroline," she said, trying to greet the boy kindly.

"And I'm not interested," Will replied.

"Is it okay if I sit here?" Caroline asked sweetly, ignoring Will's rude comment.

"I don't think I have a choice, do you?" Will replied angrily.

Caroline put her bag beside her desk and took her seat. She pulled out a binder with a single piece of lined-paper in front of her. Caroline grabbed a pen from her pencil case and wrote the date and her name at the top of the page in neat cursive.

The teacher stood at the front of the class and waited for the students to stop talking. Usually Caroline would have been a part of the chatty group but here, in this country, in this city, in this school, she was an outsider. Caroline turned her head to the left to look out the window but instead she saw Will's head whip around in the opposite direction; almost as if he'd been looking at her. Caroline thought herself mistaken so she put the idea out of her mind.

"Bonjour, tout le monde. Nous avons quelqu'un de spécial aujourd'hui et je veux que vous lui sentiez gentiment." The French teacher spoke with elegance and grace. Her voice was like a ribbon of sound that was blowing gently in the wind; like silk.

Everyone in the classroom turned to look at the only person they hadn't recognized when they walked in and sat down; Caroline. She sunk in her chair, embarrassed to be in the spotlight. Her cheeks burned and flipped from a pale tone to a fiery red.

When Ella was done changing she had a hard time convincing herself that it was worth it to go to this class and to suffer for an hour. But she remembered her agreement with Caroline and because she didn't want Ryan sitting with them anymore, she went back out into the gym. She looked up on the track above her and it was obvious that the five minute jog had turned into a longer run. She asked the teacher, Mrs. Norris, what she should do and she told her to go jog for the rest of the run; another eight minutes. Ella was pretty fit but she was never an athlete and it hurt to run for a long time, but she was willing to try.

She got up to the track and waited for a break in the runners. She was about to join in the never ending loop of sweaty, panting girls when she felt a light tap on her shoulder. "What?" she said harshly, turning to see who had stopped her from getting the perfect amount of space to run. A thin girl with short, strawberry-blond hair and pink eye shadow smiled at Ella.

"You're one of the new girls, right?" she asked, her voice light and cheerful.

Ella knew these kind of girls; the ones who pretended to be nice and then when you start to trust them they turn around and stab you in the back. Ella proceeded with caution, "Yes, I'm Ella. Why do you want to know?"

"Oh my gosh it's true! Everyone was saying that your Canadian accents were so cool and they were right! I love your accent!"

"_My_ accent? Um, you're the one with the accent."

"No, silly! Here, you're the one with the accent." The girl smiled sincerely and Ella felt her worries about the girl disappear. "I'm Krissa by the way. Come on, you can jog with me and my friends, Tasha, Jane and Rachel." Krissa grabbed Ella's arm and pulled her onto the track, dragging her through the crowd of girls until they reached three girls in the middle of the gaggle. Krissa introduced Ella to Tasha; a tall girl with long blond hair, Jane; a tan girl with dark long hair and bright white teeth and Rachel a stunning beauty with light brown curls and green eyes. The girls all smiled at Ella and they starting bombarding her with questions like, "How are you liking London?" or "Do you have McDonald's in Canada?". Ella felt like a celebrity and the girls never stopped treating her like one.

After what only felt like a second, Mrs. Norris blew her whistle again and the girls piled down the narrow stairwell leading back to the gym. When they got there they immediately dropped to the ground and started to do push-ups. Ella winced; she lacked anything remotely close to muscle, especially in her upper body. She hesitantly got down on her knees and held herself up by her hands. She stretched her feet out, straightening her long legs and started to lower her body, her weak arms shaking under the weight of her body.

When Mrs. Norris blew the whistle again the girls went into the position for sit-ups but Ella didn't get into the position until Tasha and the three others were down ten crunches already. Ella panted as she struggled to pull herself up and by the time the teacher blew her whistle again Ella had only completed seven sit-ups. But for Ella, that was an accomplishment like none other.

Mrs. Norris called the girls over to make a circle around her and when Ella fell to the back of the crowd instantly Tasha pulled her up to stand with the four girls. Ella smiled, they liked her and they seemed like they really wanted Ella to be their friend. Not to mention, they seemed to be pretty popular. The teacher explained that they would be playing field hockey and she said that she was letting us pick our teams and to keep in mind that the _Canadian visitors_ didn't know anyone and to remember to include them. Tasha, Jane, Rachel and Krissa immediately circled around Ella, making sure she would be on their team.

Ella had played field hockey before, it was one of the mandatory sports from gym back home, but she had no skill whatsoever. And it was evident to anyone with half a brain that she barely knew what she was doing. But the four girls explained the rules clearly, clearer than anyone had ever done before, and guided her in moving her stick to hit the ball and how to aim properly. It took a while and Ella knew the other team was getting impatient but she didn't care. These girls cared about her and they had just met her! Aside from Caroline she had never felt so close to anyone like them before.

The games went on and gym class flew by because of all the fun Ella was having with her new friends. She found herself laughing and smiling more often than not and she loved feeling like she did when she was around the four of them. When gym class was over and they were changing in the change room Tasha asked Ella what she was doing after school.

"I'm not sure. We were probably going to head back to the hotel."

"Oh, well we're all going out, we don't know where yet, but you should come with us!" Krissa said enthusiastically as she buttoned her shirt.

"Yeah, sure! That sounds great! I'm meeting some other people at the front door so meet me there okay?" Ella said, feeling happier by the second. These girls were turning out to be more than just in-class friends.

The four nodded in agreement and Tasha and Jane linked arms with Ella and they all walked out of the change room, down the hallway and out of the gym. They didn't stop talking until they parted ways on the stairs, each heading a different direction to get to their lockers.

The class went on for a while and a blaring bell never sounded so good to Caroline. She practically jumped out of her seat before she was pulled back down by a frustrated Will. She looked at him, confused and with impatience but he just ignored her glare. Will waited until the class was empty – the students dismissed for home and the teacher rushing off to the mandatory staff meeting –before speaking.

"Do not speak to me, look at me or even think about me. You and me; we're not friends. We will never be friends so stay out of my way and make yourself invisible to me. Got it?" Will said harshly. Caroline was shocked at his rude behaviour and a wave of horror rushed over her as his threat sunk in.

"Mmm hmm." Caroline nodded. She made as little sound as possible for she was afraid of what his reaction might be if she'd said anything else.

Will rose from his seat and handed Caroline her backpack. Caroline pulled away, grabbing the bag from him. She didn't understand why one minute he was warning her to stay away from him and the next he was helping her out of her seat. She decided that the best idea was to not say anything at all, smile and leave the room before he could say anything else.

"You forgot your pen," Will called after Caroline. She spun around on her heels and cautiously walked back to her desk. She took the pen from his tight grasp and then continued on her way to meet Ella at the front doors.

"How was your afternoon?" Ella asked Caroline when they had both reached the school entrance.

"I don't want to talk about it," Caroline said, looking at the ground, as she shrugged Ella off. Ryan walked up to the girls with John and his friend Luke tagging along behind him.

"Well mine was amazing!" Ella exclaimed, completely disregarding Caroline's disappointed edginess.

"What was amazing?" Ryan asked Ella when he was within hearing distance.

"My afternoon. All those popular girls loved me. We got along so well. We jogged together, push-upped together and we were on the same team in field hockey. They kept passing me the ball and when there was only thirteen seconds left in the game, Tasha made a great pass and I scored!" Ella was so excited she practically jumped up and down with glee. Caroline continued staring at the ground. Ryan inched towards her and placed his arm across her shoulders."What's wrong, Car?"

"Nothing."

"Tell me," Ryan begged.

"I don't want to talk about it, Ry," Caroline replied sadly.

"Can we talk about it later?" Ryan asked, concerned for his friend.

"Leave me alone," Caroline said, removing his arm from her shoulders. Ryan took the hint she was giving him and backed off; not literally of course, he was still right next to her.

A tall, blonde girl with a perfectly trimmed fringe just above her arched eyebrows and eyelashes that had enough mascara applied for about three or four girls walked over to Ella and gave her a tight hug. Ella pulled away and said, "I'm sorry guys. I'm being so rude." Who was this girl? Ella had gone from the Queen of Sarcasm to Miss Delightful in seventy-five minutes. "This is my friend Tasha. We have gym together."

Tasha held out her slim, fragile hand to Ryan who hated having to take his attention off of Caroline. No one else seemed to notice how upset she was or maybe they did and Ryan was just the only one who cared.

Then Tasha offered her hand to Caroline who, instead of shaking her hand, just said, "It's nice to meet you." Caroline forced a smile that soon faded. She tried to put on a show and pretend nothing was wrong but she was easily seen-through.

"A group of us are going to grab a bite to eat. Would you like to join us?" Tasha asked, her offer mostly aimed at Ella.

"Yeah, that'd be fun, wouldn't it, guys?" Ella replied, this time inviting the whole group. Soon there were about ten of them just standing there after Tasha's 'crew' had joined the original five.

"Yeah, why not?" John agreed, nodding slightly. Ryan looked down at Caroline. She smiled at him, hoping he'd forget that there was anything wrong in the first place. But not Ryan; he wouldn't forget.

"Where are we going?" Luke asked eagerly.

"There's a nice pizza place just around the corner. We'll walk if you're all okay with that." Tasha spoke like a mature woman organizing a meeting in a quaint business office.

"Sounds good to me," Luke replied. So, the group headed out. They walked though a more quiet part of London. Tasha led them there confidently; she knew the route like the back of her hand.

"Here it is," Tasha said, smiling. She was excited to show off her city to her new friends. She had always been the queen but now she had new people.

Tasha's friends quickly went inside and grabbed two tables for four. They pulled an extra chair up to one of the tables and waved the rest of them inside. Ella followed Tasha. Caroline pulled up the back of line. She was okay there. She couldn't be seen and she'd finally been forgotten.

Ella slipped into the seat next to John, across from Tasha who was sitting next to Luke. They girls laughed and talked while the boys gazed goofily, taken by the way the sunshine made their eyes glimmer.

Ryan pulled out the chair for Caroline and she sat down. He took a seat in the retro-style pizza-place chair next to Caroline. They were sitting just opposite of two of Tasha's friends and the final groupie tagged along at the end of the table. She looked exactly how Caroline felt.

It didn't take long for the conversation to start. "So," Rachel, Tasha's friend, began. "I hear you're Canadian." She was staring straight at Ryan.

"Canadian boys are so hot," Jane, one of the other friend's added. Rachel and Jane were completely different. Jane had a short, black bob that was styled neatly and not one hair was out of place. Rachel, on the other hand, had long, flowing, brown hair that reached her waist. She had two braids on either side of her head, just above her ear, that had been tied together at the back with a baby-blue ribbon. Rachel wasn't wearing any makeup but Jane's cheeks had been powdered within an inch of their lives.

Ryan sat and stared back at Jane uncomfortably. Caroline was playing with her thumbs. "Are you hungry? Do you want me to get you something to eat?"Ryan asked Caroline. Jane and Rachel were disappointed that he had shifted his focus from them to the lonely, speechless girl by his side.

"No," Caroline said in her comforting sweet voice. "I'm fine. Thank you, though." She coughed slightly.

"Let me get you a drink," Ryan said, rising from his seat.

"No," Caroline said, pulling him back down by the hem of his hoodie."I'm fine," she insisted, refusing to let her mood get the best of her as she spoke once more with a voice smooth like honey.

Ryan stood again and walked to the counter to place his order, ignoring Caroline's decline. "So are you two dating?" Jane asked Caroline once Ryan was out of hearing range. Rachel gave her friend a nudge in the arm as if to say, _You can't ask her that._ Jane gave her a look of "I don't care."

"What?" Caroline asked, shocked that the thought had even crossed her mind.

"Well you guys are so close and he's always asking if you need anything," Jane said.

"We've known each other for a long time, that's all," Caroline explained, hoping she'd set the record straight.

"If I were that close to him, I don't think I'd be able to keep my hands to myself," Jane added. She smiled over at Ryan even though his back was the only thing she could see.

"He's all yours," Caroline said.

Over at the other table, Ella was busy talking to Tasha, Luke and John."I can't believe you're all Canadian. You fit in so well here. It's like you were born in the wrong country," Tasha said, giggling. Ella joined her.

"So what kind of music do you listen to?" Luke asked, clearly fascinated by Tasha.

"I listen to a lot of my dad's old CD's. You know, the Rolling Stones, Queen. Stuff like that.," Tasha answered.

"My kind of girl!" Luke exclaimed. The four of them laughed. The small buzzer on the table went off and John went to pick up the pizza they'd ordered.

When he came back, John set the steaming pie down on the table that had a classic red-and-white-checked table cloth on it. Ella picked up her knife and did her best to slide a slice off of the hot tray and onto her plate. The gooey cheese made it difficult because it stretched into a never-ending rope of mozzarella. She picked the round pepperoni slices off her piece and put them on the rim of the plate just like she'd done every time she'd had pizza since the first time she'd tried it.

"You don't like pepperoni?" John asked, shocked.

"No," Ella replied, her mouth full of warm dough, fresh tomato sauce and hot cheese.

"I wouldn't have ordered pepperoni if you had told me you didn't like it," John said, wishing he'd asked before he'd ordered.

"It's fine. All of you wanted it. Four against one, duh," Ella joked.

"Are you sure? I can go get you a cheese slice," John offered kindly.

"No, no, it's fine, honestly. It's just a couple of pieces anyways. It's not like there's so much pepperoni I can't see the cheese. Now _that_ would be a problem," Ella said, laughing.

Ryan returned to the table with a diet Coke and four glasses of water. Caroline didn't like water. She wouldn't drink it unless she had to so instead she always had diet Coke. Ryan set the glass bottle down in front of her and handed her a straw. Caroline looked up at him a smiled. "Thank you," she said. Ryan took his seat and handed the waters around. He took a long sip from his cup and in one swig, he had wiped out nearly half the glass.

"Wow, that was impressive," Jane said, clearly taking an interest in Ryan's _many_ talents.

"It's nothing special," Ryan replied, not appreciating the attention he was getting.


	7. Chapter 7

After what felt like hours for Caroline and only minutes for Ella, the two girls left their new friends at the pizza place and headed back to the hotel with Luke, John and Ryan. Ella was walking up front with Luke and John, her time with Tasha giving her new-found confidence. Caroline tagged along behind them with Ryan but she wasn't in the mood to talk. She was confused and kind of scared about what that guy Will had said at the end of English class. Was he serious? Why did he hate Caroline so much when they had just met?

"Caroline, will you please tell me what's wrong now?" Ryan pleaded.

"No, Ryan, stop. I said I don't want to talk about it, okay?" Ryan looked at her with sad, hurt eyes and placed one hand on her arm, stopping her from walking.

"Caroline, I know that something is wrong and I am not letting go of you until you tell me what it is!" Caroline glared at Ryan as hard as she could but they both knew that she wasn't Ella; Ryan wasn't scared of Caroline.

"Fine," Caroline surrendered, after Ryan and her stared at each other for a few minutes, Ella and the boys drifting farther and farther away.

Caroline waited for Ryan to push her to continue talking but he just kept looking at her, waiting patiently until she was ready to talk.

While Caroline told Ryan about her encounter with the jerk that was 'Will from English class', Ella found herself flirting with two attractive guys, Finn the farthest thing from mind.

"Seriously though, I've always thought you were pretty hot," Luke said, blushing slightly while Ella smiled at him.

"Oh, Luke, how you kid!" Ella said back, hoping he would disagree.

"He's right. You're one of the hottest girls in our grade!" John said, agreeing whole-heartedly with Luke's statement.

Ella giggled and punched John in the arm jokingly. She thought it would be awkward with him after their intimate time in Ella's hotel room, but after she apologized during French class, things went back to normal.

"Plus, you're an awesome kisser," John added. This time, Ella blushed. She never thought of herself as a _good kisser_.

"I wouldn't know," Luke said, feigning sadness.

"Well we can always change that." Ella was surprised at herself the minute the words came out of her mouth. She had never _liked_ Luke and yet here she was leading him on.

"I'm game." Luke grabbed Ella's waist and pushed his dry lips against hers. She almost choked on his strong cologne and her eyes started to water from the intense smell. She felt herself relax though, when she pictured Finn holding her like this. Her eyes shot open and she pulled back, bumping into John, whose shoulders were slumped, his eyes on the ground. Was he jealous? Ella pushed the thought out of her mind; she had more important things to think about. Like the fact that she had found pleasure in imaging kissing Finn. Finn! The jerk who tried to get into her pants; twice!

"That was nice, Ella," Luke said, before winking seductively at Ella. "I would like to try again sometime, maybe in private."

Ella rolled her eyes and hit him in the arm, but there was less of a joking feeling now. She didn't like kissing Luke and she sure as hell didn't want to kiss him again, in _private_. "We'll see about that. So, John, what classes do you _boys_ have to take?" Ella said, trying to change the subject. As curious as she was though she didn't hear him when he answered; her mind had drifted back to Finn and what it had felt like kissing him.

"Yeah, and science class sucks balls!" Luke said. Well at least Ella knew two of John's classes; science and French.

The boys started to talk about their crazy science teacher and Ella started to fall behind them, her thoughts engulfing her as the boys walked on ahead, oblivious to the storm inside her mind.

Obviously there was something going on with Ella and her feelings towards Finn. But she didn't understand; she knew that Finn was a jerk and rude and a sex-craving maniac but she still felt a flutter in the pit of her stomach every time she thought about kissing him. _No_, she thought, _he's an asshole who doesn't care about you. Luke and John, they actually _like_ you, not just the fact that you're a girl who might be willing to have sex with them._

Ella couldn't take it anymore; the feelings that were running rampage inside her mind were taking over and she suddenly felt overcome with exhaustion. Before she could catch herself she felt her knees buckle under her and she fell onto the hard pavement of the sidewalk. John and Luke were too caught up in their conversation to even notice that Ella was gone and Caroline and Ryan had fallen too far behind to see. So Ella just curled up on the hard ground and laid there, her mind finally relaxing as though it was passing through the eye of a hurricane.

"Ella? Ella what happened?" Caroline and Ryan had eventually caught up to where Ella lay, motionless on the ground. Caroline told Ryan to try to get water somewhere and he went off on his search even though there were only houses around the empty streets. "Ella! Ella wake up!" Caroline said frantically as she kneeled down beside her friend and tried to shake her awake. Caroline called her name again and Ella's eyes slowly opened. From their red tint Caroline could tell that Ella had been crying.

"Caroline, what happened?" Ella asked, her voice hoarse and sore as though she had been screaming at the top of her lungs.

"I don't know, I didn't see. Did Luke or John hurt you?" Ella saw anger flash in Caroline's eyes.

"You really think _I_ would let them hurt me if they tried?" Ella said jokingly as Caroline helped her stand up.

"Right." Caroline tried to hide the concern in her voice but Ella smiled at her to let her know she was okay. "So you don't remember anything that happened?"

"Nope. The last thing I remember I was standing here thinking about-" Ella stopped. The last thing she remembered was thinking about kissing Finn. And she wasn't about to admit that to Caroline.

"Thinking about?" Caroline pressed.

"I don't know, I don't remember. I was just standing here and then all of a sudden I was on the ground and then you were waking me up. That's it; all that I can recall."

"Okay. I will ask Luke and John if they saw anything happen before you collapsed."

"They were too far ahead to see me fall, Caroline," Ella snapped. She didn't know why but she was suddenly frustrated with Caroline. She didn't want her help let alone need it and she hated how Caroline was so concerned and prying so much.

"Okay, I was just trying to help. Let's go back to the hotel. Hopefully Ryan will catch up with us before we get there." Caroline tried to grab Ella's hand as a friendly gesture thinking it would comfort her but Ella snatched it away without a word.

The girls started walking and it was obvious to Caroline that Ella wasn't okay. They walked in a heavy, awkward silence that neither of them were used to when in each other's company but Caroline couldn't think of anything to say. She wanted to talk to Ella about her weird experience in English class with _Will_ but she didn't want to annoy Ella with her stupid problems.

"What should we do for dinner tonight?" Caroline asked after another few minutes of silence.

"I don't really care. As long as it's good I guess," Ella replied, her voice lacking any enthusiasm.

"Okay we can ask Mrs. Anchory for a recommendation. Do you want me to ask Ryan to come? And maybe Luke and John? You three seemed to be getting pretty friendly earlier."

"Caroline, I said I don't care. If you want to invite them, go ahead!"

"Oh, okay." Caroline tried not to get upset at Ella because she knew something was going on that was making her act like this. But Caroline could sense that Ella was changing ever since this afternoon.

"Are you sure you're feeling okay? Because I can go get your dinner for you and bring it up here if you want to stay in bed." Caroline and Ella had eventually made their way back to the hotel with Ryan, who had caught up with them after failing to find a drink of water for Ella. The girls were now sitting in the hotel room; Ella in bed and Caroline pacing slowly while she bit her nails.

"Caroline! Stop! I'm fine! Holy shit, just stop asking me if I'm okay!" Ella said loudly. She pushed the cream comforter off her lower body and got out of the bed. She walked into the bathroom and slammed the door.

After a few minutes of Ella being in the bathroom and Caroline worrying about her friend there was a light knock on the door. Caroline knew it wasn't Mrs. Anchory because there was usually loud pounding followed by yelling when she was at the door.

Caroline unlocked the deadbolt and opened the door. "Hey. Thank God you're here. Ella's upset at me, I can tell. You need to try to cheer her up, okay?" Caroline said eagerly as she quickly pulled Ryan inside the hotel room, making sure there was nobody in the hallway to see.

"_Me_ cheer up _Ella_? Are you feeling okay, Caroline? You must be crazy to think _I_ could ever cheer her up. She practically hates me!" Ryan said as Caroline resumed her pacing at the foot of the bed.

"Please, just talk about John liking her or something. Something that you know will make her feel better. It won't matter that it's you saying it as long as it makes her happy." Caroline spoke quietly and signalled to Ryan to lower his voice with a finger to her lips.

"But why can't you just talk to her? You two are always making each other laugh."

"She's upset with me. I don't know why but it's like she gets more and more annoyed every time I talk to her."

"Fine, I will try my best. But I can't promise any results." Caroline felt a bit better as she ushered Ryan out of the room, telling him they would be at the hotel restaurant in no more than ten minutes. She was relieved when Ella came out of the bathroom and didn't say anything, meaning she hadn't heard Caroline and Ryan talking.

"You ready to go?" Caroline asked, trying not to sound pushy.

"One sec, I just have to brush my hair." Ella walked over to the dresser and pulled out her hairbrush. "So why was Ryan here?"

Caroline's heart stopped. So she had heard. Now Caroline would have to come up with a reason to explain why a boy was in their room. She felt lucky that it was only Ella who knew he was there and not Morgan or Lindsay.

"No reason. He was just getting anxious waiting for us downstairs. That's all." Ella didn't answer Caroline's explanation with anything more than a slight nod as she continued to brush her hair in the mirror.

Ella returned the brush back in the dresser drawer and walked to the hotel door without a word. Caroline knew she was ready to go so she quickly stood off of the bed and followed Ella. By the time Caroline had closed the door behind her Ella was getting into the elevator and the doors threatened to close and leave Caroline behind.

"Wait, Ella!" Caroline called, trying not to sound angry or hurt that her friend was willing to leave without her.

"Ugh, hurry up!" Ella called as she stopped the doors from closing. Caroline quickened her step and made it into the small, square box just as the doors started to close again.

The tension between the girls quickly filled the elevator and neither of them spoke in order to clear it all away. Caroline was confused; why was Ella so pissed at her all of a sudden? Everything she did or said was because she was trying to help her. Ella was still upset about Finn. She didn't know why she wanted to kiss him but the urge in her heart was overwhelming and she couldn't fight the pain. She didn't mean to take it out on Caroline but she was the closest one to Ella and her frustration.

The elevator came to the lobby and the doors started to open but Caroline pushed the button to close them again, stopping Ella from getting relief of the tension.

"What the hell? I thought we were going to meet Ryan. I thought he was _anxious_," Ella said mockingly.

"We are not going anywhere until you tell me what the hell is wrong! All of a sudden you're in a pissy mood with me and I don't recall doing anything wrong to make you upset with me!" Caroline had tried to sound calm but her hurt got the better of her.

"Nothing is wrong! Can't I just have a bad day once in a while?!"

"Yes, you can, but this isn't just a bad day, Ella! I know you when you're having a bad day and that's not who you're acting like right now. Something is going on and you are going to tell me whether you like it or not." Caroline leaned against the elevator wall and crossed her arms showing she didn't care how long it took Ella to talk.

Ella opened her mouth to answer but closed it again. Her stern, angry expression faltered and she sighed, her shoulders dropping heavily. She opened her mouth again to speak and just as she started to talk the elevator door opened and an elderly woman and a young boy walked onto the elevator. They stood right in the middle of Ella and Caroline and the woman leaned over Ella to press the button; they were getting off on the 27th floor.

The ride to the 27th floor was long and silent but the little boy beside Caroline kept picking his nose and eating it. The sight alone made Caroline want to gag but even worse was the smell radiating off of the old woman; the strong smell of cigarettes mixed with wet dog and rotten eggs. Caroline subtlety covered her nose and she glanced at Ella to find that she had done the same. If they weren't at odds they would have a good laugh about the smell after the two strangers got off of the elevator.

When they finally arrived at the 27th floor and the woman and boy got off Caroline pressed the 5th floor button. Ella looked at her, surprised, but didn't question her. They rode the whole way back down in silence again but this time the silence was less tense. They reached their floor and Caroline led Ella down the hall to a window and stood leaning against it. Ella stared at Caroline, confused by what was going on, but she still said nothing.

"This is somewhere where you can tell me what's going on and hopefully we won't be interrupted," Caroline said, breaking the long silence.

"Why not just go back into our room?" Ella asked.

"Because Lindsay and Morgan could walk in any second or they could be there right now."

Ella nodded as though she finally understood. "So, what's up?" Caroline asked sincerely.

"Caroline, I really don't want to talk about it right now."

"I don't care if you _want_ to talk about because you're going to talk about either way."

"But I don't want to! You can't force me!"

"Ella, I don't get you! You know you can tell me anything! I know you need to keep up a tough exterior in front of everyone else but it's me. You don't need to act tough and strong around me."

Ella sighed again but her eyes looked calmer, less agitated and wound-up. "Everything was going so well for me today. I met those girls in gym and we had fun at lunch and nobody was really mean to me. I felt like I finally fit in somewhere. I felt happy!"

"That's great, Ella! You deserve to be happy. But if you were so happy, why did you all of a sudden get so down?"

"When we were walking home from school, you with Ryan and me with John and Luke, something happened."

"I knew it! They did something to you, didn't they? What was it, Ella? You have to tell me," Caroline's voice rose in anger.

"No, they did nothing! Well, nothing bad. We were talking and John brought up us kissing and he said how I was such a great kisser, blah blah blah. Anyway, Luke goes, _I wouldn't know_, and so then we kissed and it was nice I guess but I-" Ella stopped and turned to face outside the window.

Caroline didn't pry; instead she waited patiently for Ella to continue with her story.

"While we were kissing, Luke and I, all I could think about was Finn. I just couldn't help it, I couldn't stop thinking about kissing him and the feeling of his lips on mine and how my stomach would flutter with butterflies when he smiled at me."

Caroline's face changed into a look of despair but she stayed positive as best as she could, "That's awesome, Ella. Why were you so upset?"

"Awesome? That's not awesome, Car! I was so scared. I shouldn't think of him like that. He hurt me, twice, and he should be the last person I think of that way! I just, I got so scared and I felt like my head and my heart were competing to see who would win and I just collapsed. That's all I remember but I just haven't been able to shut those feelings away since then and I hate myself for it."

"Ella, it's so obvious that you have some legitimate feelings for Finn. Whether you can accept them of not they're there. I think that you should talk to him, just hear what he has to say and if after hearing his explanation or apology or whatever you _still_ hate him then we can work together to try to get you over him." Caroline felt bad for tricking Ella but if she knew Ella the way she thought she did Ella would never forgive Finn. And that would mean Finn would be heartbroken and lonely and likely to call Caroline for comforting. Even though she had told herself that Finn liked Ella and not her, that things would never change, she still couldn't accept that Finn would never like her that way he liked Ella.

"Alright, I will talk to him, but maybe on the weekend. I need to focus on school during the week, you know?" Ella asked Caroline. She nodded in response and the girls headed back to the elevator, their hunger becoming a top priority. As they made their way down to the hotel restaurant to meet a _very_ patient Ryan, Caroline couldn't help but smile. Things were alright again. For now


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: Hey! Here's chapter 8! Thank you all for reading and we really hope you guys are liking the story! Chapter 9 should be up sometime this weekend! Enjoy... **

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The lunchroom was loud and unorganized when Ella and Caroline arrived. They each carried a blue lunch tray. Ella had picked a leafy salad, tossed with tomatoes and pine nuts, an apple and water. Caroline had chosen a turkey sandwich, a packet of crisps and a bottle of Minute Maid lemonade.

Tasha waved to Ella from across the lunchroom. Ella followed her friend's gesture. Caroline found herself staring blankly at Ella. She couldn't stop thinking about what she had said to her when Caroline's hand dove for the chip packet. "Are you sure you want all those extra calories?"

Ella asked Caroline if she'd like to join her and Tasha for lunch along with Rachel, Jane and Krissa but she just said no thanks in the most polite way she could. Caroline wandered around aimlessly until she found an empty seat next to Ryan. Something about Ryan was comforting to Caroline. He was her shelter from the cold storm.

"I can't believe you hadn't played field hockey until Monday. It's so bizarre," Tasha exclaimed as she bit into a crunchy leaf of romaine lettuce. Each of the girls sat in front of a plate of greens and diet sodas. They all stared at their plates that had gone nearly untouched for fifteen minutes. Jane debated whether or not the fat from the dressing was worth it or not. In the end, Ella told her that she'd earned it after her twenty-minute run in gym.

The girls laughed and talked until the sound of a harsh voice overtook the sound of their giggles.

"You're such a slut!" Ella spun around to see the boy who Caroline had previously described as Will. Caroline shuddered as he spoke. Her body shrank underneath his power. She crumbled beneath him as he spat on her with his words.

"Please, keep your voice down," Caroline pleaded. Ella found herself powerless. She didn't know how to handle it. Her friend was breaking, right in front of her, and Ella just sat there and watched it. Will moved towards her, now even closer than he'd been when he'd shouted at her. Ryan had slipped into the washroom just moments before Will had approached Caroline. He rushed back into the lunchroom, bursting through the think, metal doors.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Ryan shouted at Will. He moved closer to him. Ryan slid his lunch tray across the table and his food went flying through the room. The tray slammed into the wall a few tables down. It made a loud _Bang!_ against the hallow drywall.

Will stepped towards Ryan, neither of them willing to back down. Fear ran across Caroline's red cheeks. The feeling was then replaced by humiliation in less than a second. Caroline saw the thousands of eyes that followed their each and every move. They were all glued to her. Caroline froze in their gaze, losing the ability to conduct any form of communication. She couldn't hold Ryan back, or push Will away from Ryan. Caroline couldn't run to get help, or look for Ella's comforting approach, or tell anyone to do anything. She was still as a statue.

"I'm putting her in her place," Will replied, as calm and confident as he was when he was talking to Caroline. Will didn't fear; he was _feared._

"Well my fist is going to put your _face_ in place," Ryan said, swinging his arm behind him, winding up, chasing the adrenaline that was pumping through his veins. Ryan then let his fist swing up from behind him, cutting Will's bottom lip open. Blood rushed from Will's open wound and dripped to the floor. It pooled on the black-and-white-checked tile floor.

Will did the same thing but he had less of a preparation. He didn't care where his fist ended up, he just hoped it would hit the target. When he let his fist loose, Ryan ducked and swerved out of Will's reach, coming back up and around regaining his original stance. He planted his feet beneath him and was ready to dodge another blow. Will took a step away from Ryan and inched towards Caroline. She shrunk under his towering stature as he wiped the thick, deep-red blood from his distinct jaw line.

"You think you can come in here, have your wimpy boyfriend stand up for you? It doesn't work like that here. You Americans are all the same; cheap and miserable excuses for humans." Will spat his vicious words at Caroline like she was an insect on the other end of a magnifying glass he couldn't seem to figure out how to use.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to intrude," Caroline said, hoping she could wash away the entire experience with a few apologies and a kind smile.

"I'm sure you didn't. But, I mean, that ass of yours is so big you get involved in other people's business without even realizing it," Will snickered along with his friends who stood like cowards behind him.

"You're an asshole!" Ryan shouted, making sure the entire student body could hear him. He pushed Will backwards by his shoulders and watched him fumble back against his friends. Will looked like a coward; someone who looked tough in the small world that was high school but when it came down to it, he didn't stand a chance in the real one.

"Slut," Will muttered as he passed Caroline and Ryan on his way out of the cafeteria. The other students sat silently, waiting for someone to say something. Ryan heard his name over the announcements. The office wanted to see him immediately. He wasn't shocked when he heard it over the P. A so he walked out, ignoring the stares, headed to the main office and didn't say a word as he left.

Caroline finally found herself and was able to gather her thoughts. She searched for Ella and when her eye finally landed on her friend, Ella wasn't even looking back at her. Caroline dropped her shoulders; disappointed in herself and disappointed in Ella.

On her way out of the school to meet Ella at the bus stop, Caroline waited for Ryan outside the office. He'd been sent back to class once the end-of-lunch bell echoed through the school halls and he was called back at the end of the day. Caroline peered through the office glass and searched the occupants of the red chairs but Ryan failed to be seen. She then looked up towards the back of the office at what she assumed was the principal's office. Caroline saw Ryan emerge, his hang hanging low, followed by a disappointed principal. Ryan lifted his head to look up at Caroline. He gave her an apologetic smile but all she could muster between her lips was concern. Ryan wasn't bruised or battered in any way; but he had been hurt beyond physical pain.

"Why did you do that?" Caroline asked Ryan once he was able to hear her voice which wasn't much louder than a gentle whisper. A piece of hair fell out in front of her eyes and she pushed it away with a single flick of her head.

"Did you even hear what he was saying to you?" Ryan asked, astonished at Caroline's disapproval.

"I can handle it from now on," Caroline managed to say.

Ryan lead Caroline out of the office to the front entrance of the school where they saw Ella, standing with her back to them, listening to Jane tell her a story about the time she fell off a horse.

"Did it hurt?" Caroline asked, hoping she'd found her place in the group.

"Sorry?" Jane asked, clearly confused. Jane looked at Caroline as if she didn't understand why she was even near her.

"When you fell off the horse," Caroline began, wishing Jane would respond and save her from any further humiliation.

"A little, yeah," Jane answered. She brushed Caroline off her shoulder like an unwelcome fly.

Caroline took the hint and backed off. Ryan nudged her back towards Jane and the rest of them, hoping she'd give it another try.

"Do you guys want to grab something to eat?" Caroline asked in attempts of repairing her reputation.

"We might but I don't think you should," Krissa said as she looked Caroline up and down. Caroline glanced down at her slight muffin top. There was barely anything there but when someone pointed it out, Caroline suddenly noticed it. Caroline self-consciously wrapped her arms around her belly and began to stare at the gravel road below her. Krissa turned back around to face Ella.

"I'm kind of hungry," Ella said, looking at Krissa.

"What do you feel like?" Jane asked Ella.

"Something Mexican," Ella replied, this time staring straight at Caroline. Caroline smiled to herself because she'd finally regained Ella's attention.

"How do burritos sound?" Caroline asked the group, rejoining the conversation.

"Maybe you should try something vegetarian," Krissa added, nodding in Caroline's general direction.

"Maybe you should try shutting your mouth because no one wants to hear what's coming out of it," Ryan said sharply.

"I think I'll walk back to the hotel," Caroline said, starting along the path that led to the end of the street.

"It's so far away," Ella said.

"I need the exercise, right?" Caroline said, despising Ella's refusal to say something in her defense. Not only had she watched Caroline lose every fight; she'd practically battled her in this one.

Caroline was too far ahead to hear the last thing Ella had said to her.

Ryan caught up to Caroline. When he reached her he was out of breath because he'd run all the way from the school entrance to where Caroline was – turning down one street to walk down the other.

"I'm sorry about that," Ryan said sincerely.

"You don't have to apologize, Ryan, you did nothing wrong," Caroline said, her voice shaking slightly.

"I'm apologizing for Ella. She's going through something, I don't know what it is, but it's definitely something. I'm not saying that's an excuse for what she's doing to you but this is England, Car. I don't want you to have a bad time just because Ella made a few new friends."

Caroline didn't say anything. She looked up at Ryan, staring into his big, blue eyes. They were a sea of innocence and forgiveness. Even though Ryan didn't need to be forgiven, Caroline felt as though all the times he'd overstepped his bounds or done something stupid to embarrass Caroline, had disappeared. It was like he'd never done anything she could make him regret.

"Thank you," Caroline said. "You really know how to make a girl feel better, don't you?" A little giggle escaped Caroline's lips. Ryan joined her.

"So," Ryan began, suppressing his laughter, "I heard you were hungry." Ryan reached into his backpack and pulled out a _Snickers_ bar. Caroline frowned at Ryan as if he'd just called her fat.

"You're gorgeous," Ryan said with a kind smile. Caroline smiled back at him. "I know it's not exactly real food but," Ryan paused.

"It's perfect." Caroline gave him a wide smile. Ryan tore open the wrapper, split the chocolate bar in two and handed a chunk to Caroline.

"Cheers," Ryan said as he knocked his half with Caroline's.

"Cheers," Caroline replied.

"I hope you're proud of yourself, Ella." Ryan and Ella were arguing in the hotel lobby about lunchtime at school and their loud tempers were drawing a crowd of eager bystanders.

"Why is it such a big deal?! I'm there for her every other time and this one thing happens and it just so happens that I don't stick up for her and _I'm_ the bad guy? Maybe if she didn't get herself on the bad side of these kinds of people, I wouldn't have to stand up for her!"

Ryan dropped his hands that he had raised somewhere in their argument and his jaw dropped open in surprise. "You are such a selfish bitch."

"What did you just call me?! A _bitch_? You have no right to call me that!"

"_I_ have no right? _You _have not right; you act like you're so much better and superior to Caroline but in all honesty, she's the better person. She's selfless whereas you only care about yourself! I mean, for God's sake, you didn't even _try_ to defend her against that lunatic today! You just stood there with your new group of friends and watched as he tore her down. You just acted like everyone else; a stranger just wanting to know what was going on. She deserves a much better friend than you, Ella."

"What, like you? You think you would be a better friend? You and your immaturity and your lack of personal hygiene? You have no idea what it means to be somebody's best friend. I know what I am doing, okay?"

"I don't think you do, Ella. Because this time, I don't think she should forgive you." Ryan turned away and pushed through the crowd that had formed around him and Ella. She stared after her, rejecting the tears that pricked at the back of her eyes. She wasn't going to resort to crying in public again.

Instead of going up to the hotel room where she knew Caroline would be waiting for her, Ella decided to go hang out in the buffet room. She wasn't hungry but she didn't think many kids from her class would be there this early.

Ella's feet guided her but she didn't realize where she was until she got to the double doors at the entrance of the buffet room. She pushed them open and was relieved to find that nobody she knew was sitting at a table inside. Instead the room was filled with older people who were eating, drinking tea and reading their newspapers. It wasn't busy but it wasn't dead empty either. After looking around the room at the possible tables Ella opted for a table for two beside a big bright window; one that faced the busy London street outside the hotel.

Once Ella was seated comfortably in one of the cushiony chairs her mind started going and she couldn't stop it from eventually leading to Caroline. Ryan was right. She was the worst friend and she had been too oblivious and self-righteous to see it. Caroline was in need of Ella's known confidence and ability to stand up to jerks like Will. But instead of helping her best friend, Ella had stood by and watched as she had been verbally abused and undoubtedly humiliated.

As hard as she tried, Ella wasn't able to changer her train of thought and her mind kept returning to how bad she must have made Caroline feel. How hurt she must be by finally seeing that the one person she should be able to trust more than anyone could let her down so much in so little time. Just as Ella was about to leave to go and apologize profusely to Caroline for being the shittiest friend in history, she noticed somebody walking down the street, heading for the hotel doors.

"Finn," she said under her breath, not realizing the thought had escaped her lips. Her heart stopped as she thought of everything that had happened with him and all the things she wanted, no needed, to say to him. Without a moment's hesitation she jumped out of her seat and ran to the hotel lobby. She burst through the doors into the lobby just as Finn walked into the hotel. He saw her almost immediately and even though his face showed no emotion, Ella could see a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

She jogged lightly over to him, passing the dozen feet in a few seconds, and allowed herself to smile slightly when she reached him. He was about to say something to her when Ella remembered where she was and the circumstances involving the hotel; there would be hell to pay if Mrs. Anchory saw her with Finn _again_. Without a word Ella grabbed Finn's bare arm and pulled him back out of the hotel doors and onto the street. She didn't stop holding his arm until they were half a block away from the hotel and sitting on a bench next to a bus stop.

"What are you doing here?" Ella asked. She was dreading the conversation she knew was bound to come up.

"I needed to see you. To talk to you; face to face. What I need to say, it can't be said over the phone or in a stupid text," Finn replied sheepishly.

"What about?" Ella regretted her question; an inevitable link to the topic she didn't want to talk about.

"Us. Me. How I acted the first night we met. And the second time I saw you."

"What's there to talk about? I know what you wanted, what you want, and I'm sorry but I'm not the girl to give it to you."

"Ella, I am going to ask you to do something. I know it's going to be _really_ hard for you to do but you have to promise me you will try your best okay?"

"Okay." Ella's voice dragged as she answered, unsure of what she was getting herself into.

"I need you to be quiet. Absolutely silent. I am going to explain myself and apologize deeply for what I did and I just need you," Finn paused and continued with a smirk, "I need you to shut up for a bit."

"Are you saying I can't be quiet?" Ella said, her voice getting angry. She stopped her rant when she saw the big smile on Finn's face. He was right. She zipped her lips shut and threw away the imaginary key, cuing Finn to start his spiel.

"When I first laid eyes on you I felt something, something deep inside my heart that made me feel _alive_. It has been so long since I have felt that feeling and I knew after that, that no other girl would make me feel that way again. I took things too far too fast. I mean, you're younger than me, still a kid, and I took advantage of you! I am so stupid, Ella, and you have to know that what I did that night, when I tried to get you to sleep with me," Finn paused, as though realizing for the first time what he had actually done. "It wasn't the real me. I would never, ever do that if I wasn't afraid of losing you. I knew that you were the one, Ella, and I was deeply afraid that if I didn't act fast enough you would be gone forever. And I know you can never truly forgive me for taking advantage of you and your innocence but I hope now you know why I did it.

"I thought, _Wow, Finn, you really blew it didn't you? You definitely lost her now,_ but then Jack tells me he's going out for the afternoon with you and Caroline. And I had to beg him to let my come and not to tell Caroline. And there you were, sitting right next to me, willing to hear me out, to hear me explain myself. And I did, kind of. I didn't fully explain my feelings because I knew it was a longshot you would believe me and an even bigger one that you would forgive me. Things were going good again and then I opened my big mouth. Ella, I know it sounded bad when I said it like that but you have to believe me; I meant what I said in the most sincere way possible. I just wanted to be alone with you to get to know you better without being under the watchful eye of Caroline and Jack.

"I know exactly why you left, Ella. I understand completely how you got that message out of what I said. But if you had just waited for me to finish, to let the sentence come out properly, you would know that my intentions were good. And now I am here, spilling my guts to you and begging you, with every ounce of being in my whole heart, to forgive me."

Ella sat in silence, letting Finn's words sink in. She had heard them all, felt them as they touched her heart and pushed the tears closer and closer to the edge, closer and closer to falling down her cheeks. She had never had anyone feel like that towards her. Of all the boys she had dated or who had liked her none of them could honestly say that they had felt anything close to that for her.

"Finn, I forgive you." Once the words had escaped Ella's lips she felt as though the tight padlock around her heart had been ripped off. She finally felt whole, a feeling she had never known.

"Really?" Ella allowed herself to look at Finn and she couldn't stop the smile forming on her lips when she saw the happiness in his eyes.

"Really. But that doesn't mean I completely trust you," Ella teased. But the look on Finn's face showed he took her threat seriously.

"Anything, I will do _anything_ to regain your trust, Ella." The sincerity in his voice scared Ella.

"Are you sure? Because I can imagine some tough situations, you know, ones a pretty city boy like you wouldn't want to find yourself in."

"I think I can handle anything you throw at me."

"You better be sure." Ella winked at Finn and he winked back.

"Hey, did you just call me pretty?" Finn said, in a high pitched voice.

Ella hit his arm playfully, "Maybe I did. What are you going to do about it?"

"This," Finn said, his voice calm and low. He leaned towards Ella, his lips landing perfectly on hers and he held her face gently in his hands. Ella tensed for a moment but she instantly relaxed when Finn's fingers started to stroke her cheeks. She felt herself melt into the kiss and it felt so natural to her. For this one moment she could forget what Finn had done. She didn't care what his intentions were then or what they were now. She only cared about the sweet feeling his kiss gave her. It was better than she had remembered.

Finn was the first to pull away, surprising himself and Ella. "What's wrong?" Ella asked, hating the bare feeling of not having Finn's lips on hers.

"I want you, so badly. But I don't want you like this."

"I don't understand. Like _what_?"

"Like you only kissing me now because you feel bad for me and my stupid begging. Or you end up changing your mind because you remember how I hurt you." Finn looked deeply in Ella's eyes and the longing was evident in them.

"Finn, I-"

"No, Ella I get it. You can't trust me yet. And I know that it's going to take a lot to get what little trust you had for me back. But until then, I think we should take it slow."

_Finn, I think you might just be the greatest guy in the world. _Ella wanted to say it to him but he was right. For now they would take it slower and when the time was right she would say it to him. It was the closest thing to saying _I love you_ as she was willing to get. "Okay. I guess we can take it slow until you prove yourself to me. I'm going to have to ask Caroline what you should do to make it up to me."

"Sounds good." Finn stood and held his hand out, his smile persuading Ella to take it. "I'll walk you back to you hotel."

"Thanks." Ella smiled back at him and didn't let go of his hand until she was getting on the elevator.

"Thank you, Ella. For seeing me. I know it was probably hard and I was probably the last guy you wanted to see. So thanks."

"Actually, I was thinking about you recently. About kissing you. It was a nice surprise seeing you here." "Even though I did still hate you," Ella added quietly.

"Really? Well I will have to come by and surprise you again, won't I?"

Ella smiled at him and nodded then quickly jumped into the elevator, waving goodbye to Finn as the doors closed.

The short journey up to their room was filled with Ella's smiles and pure joy and she didn't stop smiling until she opened the hotel room door and saw Caroline sitting on the bed watching TV. All the feelings of guilt she had felt since lunchtime came rushing back all at once and she suddenly hated herself.

"Hey," Caroline called softly from the bed. Ella walked over and turned the TV off, ignoring Caroline's complaint, and sat on the edge of the bed next to Caroline. She glanced at her quickly, embarrassed to find Caroline was already looking at her.

"Why'd you turn it off?" Caroline asked. Ella looked at her again and saw that her eyes were red and puffy; she had been crying. Her friend's pain stung Ella's heart.

"I need to talk to you."

"Okay, what about?"

"About earlier today. Earlier as in lunchtime." Now it was Ella's turn to apologize to somebody she cared about.

"Ella I really don't want to talk-"

"I don't care. You can listen then."

Caroline didn't answer. Ella took it as a signal to start apologizing and didn't hesitate before going in.

"When I heard that guy talking to you today, I knew it was my cue to go in and save you. To be the best friend you always are for me; the best friend I _usually_ am. But I felt like if I went in there, called him out and caused a scene; I would only embarrass myself in front of-" Ella paused, and punched herself in the thigh, hating herself with every word she said. "I didn't want to embarrass myself in front of Tasha and my new friends.

"I am the most selfish person on the planet and the worst friend ever and I am so sorry. You were there, so helpless and small under his loud voice and I just stood by and watched like everyone else. Ryan was a better friend than me and even though I can't believe I'm saying this, I understand why you like having him around. He's the friend I sometimes forget to be, especially today.

"Caroline, I know that it's a longshot but do you think you could ever forgive me for leaving you to fend for yourself today? I am so sorry for hurting you like I did."

Caroline sat silently, contemplating all of Ella's explanation and apology. "You're right. You were a pretty shitty friend at lunch today. But right now, what you just did, that took a lot of courage. You admitted to doing something wrong, you even explained why, and you apologized. You may be one of the bravest people I know but that was a different kind of bravery than you normally possess. And that is the reason why I forgive you."

Ella gasped, shocked at Caroline's positive reaction to what she had said. "Are you sure, Caroline? I really don't deserve your forgiveness, at least not so soon."

"I'm sure. You're my best friend and I don't want to spend this trip being mad at you. Besides, I wasn't really that upset with you. I know things are going on with you, and Finn, and those girls and it's okay that you didn't stand up for me; you do every other time."

"Caroline, thank you. I don't deserve it at all. But thank you. And I'm sorry." Caroline pulled Ella in for a hug and things finally felt like normal again.


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: Sorry for the delay in uploading this chapter. We had a busy week with a birthday and a 5k run we did. So, after a while of waiting, CHAPTER 9!**

* * *

Caroline rolled across the hotel bed, her limp arm bumping into Ella's back that was turned away from her.

Caroline stood from the soft, comforting sheets and walked towards the dresser by the front door. She opened the top drawer slowly so that she didn't make too much noise. She reached inside and pulled out a cell phone. She thought it was hers, but when she grabbed Ella's phone by accident. A text message from Tasha came through and Ella's phone vibrated violently. Caroline tried to hide the phone in her pocket to mask the sound but Ella sat up quickly and looked at Caroline with a puzzled look on her tired face.

"What are you doing up?" Ella asked. "It's Saturday, we don't have to get up early today."

"I couldn't sleep," Caroline said, holding the phone behind her back.

"You can never sleep," Ella said and lay back down into the mountain of pillows and duvets.

Caroline sighed with relief and returned Ella's phone to where it belonged; anywhere but her hands.

Caroline got dressed and pulled out her own phone. She scrolled through her contacts and looked at Ryan's phone number, then Jack's. She debated starting a conversation with Ryan and decided it was better to let him sleep and enjoy a Saturday free of her downer-drama. Caroline selected Jack's contact. She sent him a quick text and then returned her phone to the drawer. Mrs. Anchory told them to hide their phones and valuables somewhere safe. It was Ella's idea to hide them in the drawer.

It had only been one minute since Caroline sent Jack a text when he replied. Her phone pinged and she exited the room, knowing it wouldn't be the last time she heard that oh-so-familiar sing-song sound.

The next thing she knew, a phone call from Jack was coming through. "Hello?" Caroline said as soon as she pressed _Talk_.

"Good morning, Caroline. I got your text," Jack said. His deep voice surprised Caroline. All she'd heard since last night was the sound of Ella's voice.

"I know," Caroline said with a giggle. "You texted me back."

"Of course," Jack said, embarrassed.

"So what's up?" Caroline asked.

"I know you've probably got lots planned today, but I was thinking maybe we could go to the cinema or for a picnic," Jack suggested.

"Actually, I'm not doing anything. I was just going to wander around and see what I could find."

"Great," Jack said nervously. "I mean, if you wanted to spend the day with me, I'd like that."

"Me, too." Caroline let out a small giggle. "So what do you think? A movie or a picnic?" Caroline asked.

"I sort of fancied seeing a film but it's up to you," Jack said kindly.

"A film sounds great," Caroline said, mimicking Jack's accent.

"I'll pick you up at noon; we can grab some lunch and then head to the cinema."

"I'll be ready," Caroline said and hung up the phone.

...

Ella woke up at eleven thirty and walked down to the breakfast buffet where she found Caroline sitting alone at a table in the corner. Practically sleep-walking, Ella picked up a bowl of cereal, a bagel, some fruit and an orange juice. Ella moved towards Caroline and took a seat in the chair opposite her.

"What's happening, sugar?" Ella said as she sat down.

"What put you in such a good mood?" Caroline asked as she stirred the milk in her nearly-empty bowl.

"Nothing," Ella said with a smile plastered on her face.

"There's something different about you. It's Finn, isn't it?" Caroline asked, hiding the disappointment. Now not only was Finn thinking about Ella but Ella was thinking about Finn as well.

"Maybe. What's it to you?" Ella asked defensively.

"Nothing, I guess," Caroline said with a shrug.

"So what are you doing today?" asked Ella, biting into her tough bagel. She ripped the chewy dough, munching profusely on the same piece for over a minute.

"Jack asked me if I wanted to see a movie with him," Caroline replied.

"That's sounds like fun," Ella said, grinning.

"What did you have planned? We didn't really talk about doing anything. I'm sorry about making plans without you," Caroline answered, thinking back to the text she saw from Tasha.

"It's okay, Car. Tasha texted me and we're going to hang out at her place. She said Jane and Krissa are going to." Caroline looked up at Ella for the first time since she'd sat down. Caroline's eyes widened in shock. Ella didn't notice because she was picking off the seeds off a strawberry.

"Oh," Caroline said. "That sounds fun. What time are you going?" she asked.

"I think she's coming around noon. So I should get moving," Ella laughed. "You know she drives a convertible? Her dad bought it for her for her Sweet Sixteen." Caroline zoned out. She stopped listening to Ella. She didn't want to hear about Tasha's fancy cars and whatever else Ella was building her new friend up to be.

"... and so, Tasha's dad said she'd earned those gorgeous diamond earrings." Caroline smiled, pretending she'd heard the whole story. Ella laughed contently. Caroline knew she wasn't meaning to her. None of this pain was intended but it hurt as much as it would if it was on purpose.

"I should go change," Ella said, rising from her chair. Without another word, she walked to the elevator and disappeared.

One she arrived at the hotel room, Ella pulled out every piece of clothing she'd packed and threw it on the bed. Lindsay and Morgan had gone out to explore the city with a couple of other students in the class so for now, Ella was alone.

She paired almost every shirt with every pair of pants until she found the perfect combination. Ella pulled on a pair of light-blue-wash skinny jeans and tucked a navy blue long sleeve shirt into the waistline. She looped a brown braided-leather belt through the loops around her waist. Her air was wet from the quick shower she'd taken. It was already starting to curl slightly at the bottom. Ella walked to the mirror and put on a thin coat of mascara and ran her fingers through her damp hair. Taking one last look at herself, Ella slung a messenger bag over her shoulder.

Outside the hotel entrance doors, Ella waited patiently for Tasha. She stood with her headphones in her ears and let the music blast.

A red convertible pulled up not long after Ella had gone outside.

"Hey there," Tasha said with a grin across her face.

"Hey," Ella said, ripping her headphones out of her ears. She wrapped the white wire around her blue iPod and slipped it into her bag.

"Well don't just stand there!" Jane shouted from the back seat. "Get in!" Ella jumped in beside Krissa. Once she was buckled, Ella gave Tasha thumbs up and watched the hotel disappear behind her as they drove away.

"So what are we doing?" Ella asked.

"Well, I think it's going to rain so we can just watch movies, do our nails, eat," Tasha said and the girls burst into laughter.

"Why don't we stop by the shop and grab some gummies?" Jane suggested.

"Do you have _Sour Patch Kids_ here?" Ella asked, hoping she'd get a positive reply.

"What are those?" Jane asked, obviously confused.

"I'll take that as a no," Ella said and then the four girls suddenly burst into loud laughter. Krissa cranked up the volume on the _Spice Girls_ CD that Tasha always left in her car. Ella belted the all the words to _Spice Up Your Life_ along with Jane. Tasha and Krissa were too busy laughing at the two.

Tasha pulled up in front of a large stone-house after she drove down a dirt pathway surrounded by oak trees and rose bushes. The massive wooden door had a knocker in the centre that was a bronze lion. Each of the windows had flower baskets perched on the sill. There were purple pansies, white lotus flowers and tiger lilies. There was contrast but no clashing.

Tasha pulled the keys out of the ignition and opened the car door. Jane and Ella followed her to the front step, Krissa tagging along behind them. Tasha unlocked the front door and pushed it open. Ella didn't what to look at first. She gazed up at the arched ceiling with beautiful detailing along the edges, just like a Greek Basilica. Then she looked at the china vase full of orchids that was resting upon a glass table below the golden-rimmed mirror. The last thing Ella saw was the red satin settee below a painting of a young girl on a wooden boat, facing the horizon in front of her. She had on a flowing red dress that was blowing furiously in the wind.

"Are you coming or not?" Jane asked. Ella looked up at her, realizing that everyone else had already taken their shoes off, grabbed snacks off the counter along with bowls and was on their way downstairs.

"Sorry, I was just admiring your house. I wish I lived in Graceland like you."

"This is nowhere near Graceland," Tasha joked. "Graceland didn't have half the luxuries we have here," she continued with a smile on her face.

"That's true, but Elvis never saw 2013. You have to give him some credit," Ella said defensively.

"I do," Tasha replied. "Let's go get this party started."

Tasha led the girls down to the basement where the entered the home-theatre. She shut the door behind them so that no one in the outside world could hear them. The lights on the stairs that led up to the half-floor about the ground lit up when Tasha flipped the switch.

"This room is amazing," Ella gasped when she saw the monstrosity of a television in front of her.

"Take a seat. I want to hear all about Will and Caroline," Jane said patting the soft cushion beside her on the couch. Ella walked over and sat down beside her.

"There isn't much to tell," Ella began, taking a slight pause to think about what she'd say next.

"She didn't exactly tell me what was going on." Ella suddenly felt ashamed or her and Caroline's recent poor communication skills.

"Oh," Jane said with a tint of disappointment in her voice.

"Well then, is there any _other_ drama you know of?" Krissa asked.

"Um... not really," Ella replied.

"Do you have a boyfriend?" Tasha asked Ella.

"I don't know if you could call him that exactly," Ella answered with a grin.

"What would you call him then?" Tasha leaned in closer as if she wouldn't miss this for the world.

"We don't have a label. We're just hanging out," Ella explained, trying not to complicate her relationship with Finn.

"Have you kissed him?" Jane asked, intrigued.

"A few times, yeah," Ella replied, smiling wildly.

"What's his name?" Tasha asked.

"Finn," Ella replied. Now that she'd said it out loud, it sounded real. Like this time, he wasn't going anywhere and nothing could mess it up. She was talking about him as if he _was_ her boyfriend. "Do you guys have boyfriends?" Ella asked, taking the attention off her.

"Well you met Paul earlier; he's mine," Tasha said.

"It's crazy," Jane began, "When they're together, they can't keep their hands off each other but she doesn't talk about him that much," she continued.

Tasha put a DVD into the multi-disc player under the huge flat screen TV and returned to her spot in the middle of the couch. She pressed play and the movie started but she turned down the volume so the girls could talk over the movie.

"Did you see Jacob yesterday at lunch? He was in his rugby outfit and he looked hot!" Jane said, giggling like a little girl.

"Yes! He was with the whole team! They all looked gorgeous. But _Caleb_ looked the best," Krissa said seductively.

"In your dreams, Krissa! You know he's dating Rachel!" Jane said sternly, but Ella could see the humour in her eyes.

"Yeah, but I think I'm a better girlfriend than Rachel is. She's too clingy."

"You're so right! She never leaves me alone. I had to tell her I was visiting my gran in hospital today so we couldn't hang out. I swear, she is so annoying!" Tasha said, returning to the conversation. The girls continued bad talking about Rachel while Ella sat listening in shock. She thought they all liked Rachel; she did. Why did they hang out with her if they hated her so much? She didn't get it. Eventually the girls stopped bitching about Rachel and started talking about boys at their school again.

Ella tuned out the girls and tried to focus on the movie; The Breakfast Club, but she couldn't care less about the five kids stuck in detention. She thought about all the times her and Caroline had hung out and how they never ceased to have something interesting to talk about. The girls seemed to forget Ella was even there; talking about kids at their school that Ella had never heard of and not even bothering to tell Ella who they were or try to include her in the conversation.

After ten minutes of hair-pulling boredom Ella pulled out her phone, trying to be as subtle as possible. She sent a quick text to Caroline, "hey car. how's it going? your movie over yet?" She waited anxiously for an instant reply but Caroline didn't respond. Ella sighed and finally started to watch the movie even though it was halfway over now.

"How do you like it so far?" Jack whispered in Caroline's ear, making sure to wait for a break in the movie dialogue.

"It's so good! I love their chemistry," Caroline whispered back. She could just make out a smile on Jack's face in the darkness of the theatre.

Caroline sat back in her seat. She stretched her arm across Jack and dunked her hand into the popcorn, grabbing a handful. Jack handed her the container so she didn't have to reach over him anymore.

Caroline glanced over at Jack whose eyes were glued to the screen. She loved the way he watched so intensely. The way his eyes followed the character's every move. He never flinched or looked back at her so she reached over, taking his hand in hers. Jack didn't look at Caroline; he just held on and continued to watch the movie. Caroline looked straight ahead at the movie, still holding on to Jack's hand.

The theatre let out and Caroline said to Jack, "I'm going to go to the washroom. Wait for me by the entrance." Caroline smiled and then went into the washroom.

When she came out, Caroline found Jack sitting at a table in front of the pizza stand. He was looking at a flyer for new movie releases. He flipped through the pages, bored, as he waited for Caroline's return. Caroline tapped him on the shoulder once she'd reached him. Jack spun around, a little surprised.

"Are you ready?" Jack asked Caroline, handing Caroline back her purse. She'd asked him to hold on to it while she used the washroom.

"Yeah, thanks," Caroline said, slinging the bag over her shoulder. Jack led Caroline out into the parking lot and when they found his navy blue Mini Cooper, Jack opened the passenger door for Caroline. She slipped in and waited for him to join her in the front seat.

"That was fun," Caroline said when Jack got in the car.

"It was," Jack said.

"I realized something when Finn came to see Ella the other night," Caroline began

"Finn went to see Ella? At the hotel?" Jack gasped.

"Yeah, he wanted to apologize for whatever he did that time we went mini-golfing."

"He's such an idiot. I told him to leave her alone," Jack said, looking down at his lap and shaking his head.

"It's okay. She was glad he came." Caroline looked over at Jack who was looking back at her with wide eyes.

"So what did you realize?" He asked.

"Oh, right," Caroline said, smiling a little. "I realized that as much as I wanted him to, Finn doesn't want me, does he? He wants Ella. So I don't want to waste my time fighting for his attention anymore."

"Oh," Jack said, disappointed.

"I realized something today, too," Caroline said, looking at Jack.

"What's that?" Jack asked, half-knowing he wouldn't get the reply he was looking for.

"I'd much rather spend time with you and I'd rather win your affection than Finn's. I'm just sorry it took me so long to realize it." Caroline smiled at Jack and he smiled back. He'd finally gotten what he wanted: Caroline.

Jack started the car and they drove out of the parking lot and turned onto the busy street. Caroline pulled out her phone to check if Ryan had phoned but instead saw the message from Ella. She sighed; why was she texting Caroline when she was with her new friends? She glanced at the time, 5:17pm, and then put the phone back into her bag.

"So, would you like to come back to our flat for dinner?" Jack asked Caroline, nervously anticipating her answer.

"I'd love that," Caroline said, unable to contain her smile.

"Great. Finn will be there, if you want to invite Ella?"

"I guess I could ask her." Caroline's voice faltered a bit when she thought of having Ella there with her, Jack and Finn.

"You don't have to. I just thought that with Ella there, Finn would have somebody to talk to. So we could talk alone."

When Caroline thought of it that way she felt better. She pulled her phone back out of her bag and quickly texted Ella, asking if she'd want to come for dinner, saying they could pick her up if she gave her the address for Tasha's.

"yeah sure. that sounds like fun. thanks. J I can ask Tasha to drive me. What's their address?" Ella replied almost instantly as though she had been staring at the screen of her phone.

Caroline asked Jack for their address and then relayed the message to Ella in another text. Ella replied saying she would be there if half an hour.

"So she can come?" Jack asked as they pulled into the driveway of a small apartment building. It had about four stories with a red door at the front and Jack led Caroline up a few staircases until they reached a wooden door. He pulled out a key and unlocked the door, motioning for Caroline to come inside.

The strong smell of tomato sauce and garlic filled the small apartment and Caroline could see Finn standing at the stove in the little kitchen to her left. His back was to them but he called hello out cheerfully, obviously having heard them coming in.

Jack took Caroline's jacket and purse and put them in the small closet near the door, then walked into the kitchen. Caroline followed, unsure where to go or what to do. Jack opened the stainless steel fridge and pulled out two root beers. He handed one to Caroline and she took it, feeling obliged to drink the fizzy pop. "Thanks," she said shyly.

"So, Caroline, how's it going? It's been a while, eh?" Finn said, finally turning to look at her, smiling.

"Yeah. It's good. We started school this past week. It's a bit different going to school in England!" Caroline said, glad for the conversation Finn had started. Jack took a seat at the breakfast bar and pulled out the stool next to him, signalling for Caroline to join him.

"I'm sure it is. Are you staying for dinner?" Finn asked, returning his attention to the pot on the stove. Obviously Jack hadn't told Finn he was asking Ella and Caroline for dinner.

"Yeah. Ella's coming too. She should be here in ten minutes."

Finn seemed happy when Caroline first saw him but after hearing that Ella was coming he seemed ecstatic. "Oh, Ella's coming? Jack, could you finish up here? I better go take a shower and get changed, and shave." Finn jogged out of the kitchen and disappeared down a short hallway.

Jack stood up to go take care of the dinner cooking but Caroline stopped him, smiling. "Sit. Let me make dinner. It's obvious we're having spaghetti and meatballs and that's easy enough to make."

"Are you sure? Come on, Caroline. You're our guest. It's my duty to cook _you_ dinner."

"Jack, please. I don't have an apartment with my own kitchen where I can cook dinner for you so please just let me cook it for you now."

"Alright. But I'm here if you need help, or if you change your mind." He sat back down and Caroline stood up to take Finn's place at the stove. She started stirring the bubbling tomato sauce and then, when she noticed the pasta had finished cooking, she drained it in the small sink next to the fridge.

She added the sauce into the cooked spaghetti and stirred it patiently, letting the sauce cover the pasta evenly. She stared searching the cupboards for bowls when the phone started ringing. Jack jumped up and grabbed it off of the wall. "Hello?" Caroline couldn't hear who it was but guessed it was Ella when he said, "Come on up, 305," and pressed a button on the phone.

Caroline found some pretty, cream coloured bowls with blue leaves on them and started to dish out the spaghetti when there was a light tap on the door.

Jack pulled the door open and Ella stood there, sheepishly, as he waved her in with his hand.

"Hey, Jack, Caroline," she said, when Jack closed the door behind her.

"Hey, Ella. How was Tasha's house?" Caroline said, trying not to sound bitter.

"Boring. They didn't stop talking about people at our school; people I don't even know. How was your movie?"

"Great, we loved it," Jack answered this time.

"Good, I'm glad."

"Come, have a seat," Jack said, leading Ella towards the couch. Caroline thought he would sit and keep her company but he made his way back into the kitchen and stood next to Caroline, leaning against the counter.

"You need any help?" he asked.

"Nope, it's all done. Here, take these to the table." Caroline handed him two plates and followed with the third and fourth.

"Dinner is served," Caroline said happily when the table was set with four bowls of spaghetti, four glasses of milk and a plate of garlic bread.

Ella came to the dining room table and hesitantly took a seat at the end of the table. "This looks great. Thanks!"

"Finn started it but Caroline finished it," Jack said, as he went to get Finn.

"Finn's here?" Ella said, her breath faltering a bit. She didn't know why she was getting so excited. Why wouldn't Finn be there? It was his apartment too. And they weren't dating or anything, they were taking it slow.

"Yeah, that's why Jack wanted you to come. To keep him company." Caroline didn't care that she sounded like a bitch; it was true.

"Oh. Right."

Just then Jack and Finn made their way from the bedrooms; Finn's hair wet and his shirt different from the one he had had on before.

"Ella, hey," Finn said, as he took a seat beside her.

"Hi."

"Nice job, Jack. This looks good for once," Finn joked.

"I didn't do it. Caroline finished it off for you," Jack said, laughing.

"No wonder it looks so good. Jack it infamous for his cooking; it's terrible."

"I'm glad I offered to finish it then," Caroline said, joining in their laughter.

The four finished their dinner keeping light conversation and laughing occasionally. When they had finished, Jack cleared the dishes and put them in the dishwasher. He led Caroline to the couch and they sat down, their knees touching lightly, and started talking. Jack placed his arm behind Caroline's shoulders casually and Caroline pulled it down from the couch so it rested along her the top of her back.

"So, what do you want to do?" Finn asked Ella. They were still at the dining room table.

"Well, I'm feeling pretty tired. I should probably go home."

"What? No, Ella. Please, just stay and hang out a bit. We can go to the office, there's a couch in there."

"Okay, just for a little bit." Finn took her hand and they walked past Caroline and Jack who were laughing on the couch.

The office was a small room with a small, cushiony, light brown couch and a soft white rug. There was a dark wooden desk in the middle of the room with a desktop computer and paper and pens. Pictures lined the front of the desk and were on every available surface of wall. There was a short bookshelf that sat under the window, filled with more books than Ella had read in her lifetime.

Finn sat down on the couch and Ella joined him. She felt awkward. She wanted so badly to snuggle into his chest and just lie there against him but she had to remember her promise; to take things slow. Finn fidgeted nervously, moving his hands from his thighs to the arm of the couch and back on to his thighs. Was Finn feeling the same way Ella was?

"So, my band has a gig next weekend and I was wondering if you wanted to come to watch us play?" Finn said, his voice cracking slightly.

Ella glanced at him, and then turned her eyes back to her fingers. Finn wanted _her_ to go to his show. She felt lucky that she was the girl Finn thought of asking. "Sure. Should I invite Caroline or-"

"The invitation is for one only."

"Okay. Yeah that sounds like a good time. You can introduce me to all your band mates."

"Great. I have to be at the bar for 7:30 so I could pick you up around 7:00 on Saturday night?"

"Sure. If it's not too much trouble."

"Of course not. I want to spend as much time with you as possible." Finn had intended for it to sound sweet, innocent even, but it came out sounding flirty and provocative.

Their lips touched instantly, neither of them missing their target. Finn pulled Ella on top of his lap so their fronts were pressed against each other. Ella started running her fingers through his short hair, breathing in the masculine mix of his cologne and shower gel. Ella gracefully pulled her legs out from under her and wrapped them around Finn's back, her lips never leaving his.

"Finn, I thought we were taking it slow," Ella gasped, planting kissed down Finn's neck. She reached the top of his shirt and hated the way it covered his chest. She slid her hands down the back of his neck and down his back until she reached the hem of his shirt. She pulled his shirt off slowly, taking in his muscular chest. She sighed at the way his muscles flexed when he raised his arms, helping her to remove his shirt.

"How could I take it slow with someone as gorgeous as you?" he said, his voice serious and low.

Ella looked into his eyes, looking for a sign that what he said was supposed to be a joke. Why wouldn't it be meant as a joke? He couldn't think that _she_ was gorgeous.

"You're joking, right?"

"Ella, you think too lowly of yourself. You're the most beautiful girl I've met and the only one I've ever fallen in love with."

Her heart sped up and she could hear it beating loudly in her ears. She peeled herself off of Finn and stood up, ready to run out the door and away from Finn.

"What's wrong?" he asked, confused.

"You can't say that. You can't just say that, Finn. You don't love me, okay? You can't love me." She opened the door and ran out of the apartment, ignoring Finn's sad cries and Caroline's voice calling after her. Ella didn't stop running until she got a few blocks away, panting as she tried to slow down her speeding heart. This was the second time she had run from Finn and this time, instead of being angry she was scared.


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: Wow we're getting pretty into the story now! Chapter 10 already! This one is kind of short but it's because it is just the direct continuation from chapter 9.** **Enjoy Chapter 10!**

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"Ella, wake up." Caroline had left shortly after Ella last night and by the time she had got back to the hotel Ella was _asleep_. She tried shaking her awake but to no avail. Caroline wanted an explanation as to what had happened Saturday night at Finn and Jack's apartment. She was scared for her friend. She didn't know if Finn had hurt her or done something too pushy.

Caroline went to have a shower, silently vowing to wake Ella up when she was done. It was only 10:40 but she didn't want Ella wasting her day in bed; moping for a reason Caroline still didn't know.

When she got into the shower she started going over her day with Jack. He had picked her up at the hotel right on time and they made it to the movie ten minutes before it started. They whispered to each other sometimes during the movie and passed subtle exchanges of adoration; hand holding, knee grabbing. Caroline even leaned her head on his shoulder halfway through the movie.

She didn't know why she felt so differently towards Jack all of a sudden. Maybe it was her recent realization that Finn wanted Ella and not her that had led her to have stronger feelings. The feelings were new, more intense than when she was interested in Finn.

Caroline rinsed her hair and turned off the warm water. She stepped out onto the bathmat and started shivering. The temperature in the bathroom was freezing compared to her warm shower. Caroline grabbed the towel off the back of the door and wrapped it around her quickly. She plugged in her hair dryer and let the hot air warm her up again.

The sound of Caroline's hair dryer echoed in the hotel room and Ella woke up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She had cried when she had returned to the hotel and her eyes were still puffy from the tears she had shed. She was confused; why was she so upset that Finn had said he loved her? Didn't she want to be loved? Especially by Finn?

"Morning, sleeping beauty," Caroline said, walking into the hotel room, fully dressed in track pants and a thick hoodie and still shivering.

"Morning. Your hair dryer woke me up or I would've slept longer."

"How are you feeling?" Caroline asked cautiously.

"What do you mean?" Ella walked to the dresser to get her phone out of one of the drawers. She turned it on and carried it with her as she went to sit in a cushioned chair at the hotel room desk.

"I mean, you ran out of their apartment so fast I barely saw you run by. What did Finn do?"

"He didn't _do_ anything. We went to their office and were sitting on the couch in there and he invited me to his band's gig." Caroline sat silent, surprised by Ella being so quick to explain what happened. "Then I just, I had this urge inside me that had been building up all week long and I couldn't help myself. He was sitting right there, his lips ready." Ella blushed ferociously as she continued.

"We started making out and I loved it, Car. I loved the feeling of his arms around me, holding me close. I took his shirt off and just as things were getting really heated he told me he had fallen in love with me."

"Oh. My. God. Oh my God! Ella! That's so amazing!" Caroline squealed, jumping up and down in place.

"No, it's not. Because it can't be true, Caroline."

"Why not?"

"Because he can't love me. Not _me_. I'm not a lovable person, okay? And he can't just say that and get my hopes up because I know it can't be true. It just can't."

"Ella, why do you put yourself down so much?

"I'm not. It's the truth, Caroline. People don't just _love_ me. Nobody ever has and nobody ever will," Ella said matter-of-factly.

"Stop pitying yourself, Ella. God. You act like nobody loves you but you have your dad, and your grand-parents and _me_. And even though you two hate each other, Ryan cares about you. He loves you too, as his sister. Just because your mom doesn't love you like she should doesn't mean nobody else loves you or cares about you."

Ella nodded silently, holding back her tears with all her might. Maybe Finn really did love her, as hard as it was to believe. She needed to apologize to him. But not today. Not now. She needed more time to relax her mind and her heart.

"Okay, now that that pity party is over, what do you want to do today?" Caroline asked.

Ella didn't answer. She had gotten a text from Tasha asking if she'd want to go to a mall with her and Jane. Ella put the phone on the table and quickly got dressed and ready for the day. She left her phone in their hotel room as the girls headed down to get breakfast.

"Morning, Caroline. Ella," Ryan called the girls over to his table where he was eating breakfast with John and Luke. Ella groaned inwardly, hating herself for kissing Luke _and _John.

"Good morning. What are you guys doing today? We need a little inspiration," Caroline said as the two sat down to join the boys.

"Mrs. Anchory told us there's this temporary fun-fair thing up somewhere near Hyde Park so we were going to go check it out. You guys could join us, if you wanted to," Luke said, smiling at Ella. She rolled her eyes at him, then turned to Caroline, "Are you going to go, Car?"

"Yeah aren't you?"

"Well Tasha asked me to go to the mall with her and Jane."

"Oh. I get it. Go. It's not like it's the nicest day we've had so far."

"But I'd rather go with you guys than go to some stupid mall."

"Really?" John said sarcastically. "I thought girls loved going to the mall."

"Shut up, John. Are you really going to come, Ella?" Luke said, coming to her defense.

"Yeah, if Caroline wants me to."

"Of course, Ell."

"Good, then I'll come. I better go have a shower though." Ella stood to leave but Luke grabbed her arm to keep her at the table. She shook his hand off, glaring at him.

"Aren't you going to eat breakfast first?"

"I'm not hungry. And why do you care anyway?" she snapped.

"I was just looking out for you. Breakfast _is_ the most important meal of the day." He grinned up at her but she just walked away, ignoring John and Ryan's laughter.

"I'm glad you're coming, Ell," Caroline said quietly as they were walking to the fun-fair with the three boys.

"Me too," Luke called from ahead. Caroline apologized with her eyes, not having expected anyone to hear.

"Yeah this is the kind of thing I miss doing with you, Caroline."

The five rambunctious teenagers reached the fun-fair and headed for the ticket booth. They all bought twenty tickets each and started arguing about which ride to take on first. There were mostly booths with games and prizes but there were a few small roller coasters. They were all used to the small size of the carnival.

"Let's go on this one first, it's the biggest," Ryan said pointing to a long purple roller coaster with yellow cars.

"Alright. But it looks kind of intense," Caroline said nervously.

"Don't worry, I'm here for you, Car," Ryan said. She tried to smile but suddenly felt awkward standing next to him. She inched her way closer to Ella as they headed to join the long but quickly moving line.

"Ella, do you want to sit next to me?" Luke asked, shuffling beside her and pushing Caroline slightly closer to John and Ryan.

"Um, I," Ella looked at Caroline, expecting her to save her but Caroline had started talking to John. "Sure I guess."

"Good. I can protect you from the _scary ride_."

"I'm not afraid like Caroline. I can go on a stupid ride. I've ridden on worse. Like when I went to Toronto for three weeks. They have _much_ bigger roller coasters there."

"_Sure_, Ella. You know you can trust me and tell me anything. What you're afraid of, even your feelings." Ella could tell Luke was trying to get Ella to talk about herself and whether or not she liked Luke the way he so obviously liked her.

"Okay. But you might not like what I have to say," she said, playing along. "I am afraid of spiders and I have no feelings _whatsoever_ towards you."

Luke's playful expression faltered and his face turned somber. He was hurt but Ella didn't care. She didn't want him thinking they were doing something or that they _were_ something.

"Hey, John, wanna sit together?" he called out, ignoring Ella's glares.

"Yeah, whatever," John answered, before continuing his conversation with Caroline.

"So you've never been on a roller coaster before? Seriously?" John asked Caroline, shocked.

"No. Well, I've been on Ferris wheels and bumper cars. But no, I've never been on a real roller coaster like this one." Caroline was excited that her first roller coaster ride would be in England but she wished it could be with Jack instead of John and Luke.

"Wow. Well you're going to love it. I promise." The five impatient teens reached the end of the line and started to get on to the ride. John and Luke nabbed the first two seats and Luke sat behind them with a girl none of them knew. Caroline and Ella had seats in the middle of the train and they held hands, anxiously waiting for the ride to start moving.

"That was probably the _best_ day I've had in a long time," Caroline said when Ella and her had reached their hotel room. She spread her arms out on the bed and Ella lay down beside her, laughing in agreement.

"I'm glad I came. The mall would've been _so_ boring." Caroline felt like all the laughter and fun they had shared that day vanished. Ella _had_ to bring up Tasha and the day she _could _have enjoyed.

"Yeah," Caroline answered bluntly.

"I don't want to go to school tomorrow. What kind of vacation is this where we have to go to school every week?"

"It's not a vacation. It's an educational trip."

"Whatever. I shouldn't have to go to school at all."

"Yeah it would have been better to come in the summer. But we might've never met Finn and Jack if we did."

Ella didn't answer. She shot up off of the bed and grabbed her phone. "What's wrong?" Caroline asked, propping herself up on her elbows.

"I need to phone Finn and apologize."

"Right. I'll leave you to it." Caroline stood up and headed for the hotel room door. "No, Car, it's fine. You stay. I will go into the hallway." Ella grabbed the handle of the door before Ella could reach it and pushed her way past.

Ella closed the door quietly behind her and went to sit on a cushioned bench halfway down the hall. She went through her cell phone directory and found Finn's number. She pressed it and it started ringing in her ear. The loud rings were in sync with the loud beating of her heart.

"Hello?" Ella sighed inwardly at the sad voice that answered.

"Hi, Finn. It's Ella."

"Yeah, I know. What do you want?" His tone had changed from sad to irritated.

"I'm sorry. About last night. When I ran out of the apartment and when I freaked about what you said. I just couldn't believe that it was true and it made more sense to leave you than to get heartbroken."

"Why can't you believe that I might have actually fallen in love with you? Why is it so hard to believe?"

"Because I'm not the girl that guys like you love!" Ella felt a weight lift from her shoulders when she finally explained how she was truly feeling.

"Ella, you may not be the typical, average girl but you _are_ the girl for me. I'm not the kind of guy that takes this whole _love_ thing lightly. If I say that I love somebody I mean it."

"I just don't understand how you can love me."

"You're the moodiest, most stubborn loud-mouth I have ever met. You can never _not_ talk and you always have to have your way and share your opinion. I can't say I know you like Caroline does but I can say that from what I do know about you, I love it all. I want to know the rest of you, Ella."

"I don't know what to say. Nobody's ever said they _love_ me before. I mean, we just met, it's not possible that you love me already."

"I don't know how love works but I do know that I feel something towards you, Ella! Can't you just accept that? Or maybe that's it. You just don't _want_ to accept that I have very strong feelings towards you."

"That's not what this is, Finn. I don't know what I'm feeling, okay? I've never been in love before," Ella said impatiently. She was supposed to just apologize and things would go back to normal.

"Can you honestly tell me that you don't feel something when you're with me?" Finn sounded desperate, liking he was grasping at the last few straws.

"No. I do. I feel like there's this fire in the pit of my stomach and every time I'm with you or I think about you it grows and grows."

Finn didn't answer and Ella was worried she had said the wrong thing. She had only said what she felt, it was only the truth.

"Finn? I-I'm sorry."

"Sorry? For what? That's exactly how I feel about you, Ella."

"But what does this mean?"

"It means that we're supposed to be together."

"Finn, there's so much that could go wrong, things that don't stand in our favour."

"I don't care. I want to be with you, Ella."

"I think I want to be with you too." Ella smiled to herself. Things were finally working themselves out.

"Okay. So it's settled then. You and me, we're in this together. No matter what happens, we will try to beat the odds, okay?"

"Okay."

"Good. I have to go. I'm glad you called, Ella. I will talk to you tomorrow."

"Okay. I'm glad I called too. And Finn? I'm sorry about last night. I shouldn't have run. I should have stayed and talked things over."

"It's okay. I shouldn't have said it like that."

"It's not your fault."

"Let's not get into that shall we? Let's just say we're even. I'll talk to you tomorrow, Ella."

"Bye, Finn."

"Oh, and Ella?" Finn said, quickly catching her before she hung up.

"Yeah?"

"Sleep well."

"You too. Bye, Finn."

"Bye, Ella." Ella hung up the phone again and headed back to their room. She walked in, put her pyjamas on and brushed her teeth, all with a big smile plastered on her faced. She got into bed while Caroline went through her nighttime rituals and Ella fell asleep instantly, thinking about Finn.


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: Here's Chapter 11! Chapter 12 is coming soon and we hope you guys are enjoying the story so far. There's only a week left for Ella and Caroline in England but it will be filled with drama! Happy reading!**

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Caroline walked into French, the last period on a Tuesday afternoon, dreading the 75 minute class that was her immediate future. Will had been suspended for Friday and Monday and as far as she knew he was due to come back today. And there he was.

"Caroline," he called as she walked towards their desks.

She didn't say anything but took her seat silently. He looked at her, one of his swollen shut from Ryan and his fight on Thursday.

"Caroline," he said again, his voice getting quieter because the teacher had started the lesson."Caroline!" he whisper-shouted.

"What?" she whispered back.

"I need to talk to you."

"Then talk!"

"Caroline, Will, tout va bien?" the teacher asked, directing the class's attention to them.

"Oui," they both answered simultaneously.

The teacher returned to the board and continued teaching. "I mean I need to talk to you about what happened. And it would be better in private." Caroline didn't know what to say but she felt her head nod in reply.

"Not here though," he continued. "Can we meet after class in by the bleachers?"

"I don't know, that's a little secluded don't you think?" Caroline said, her voice wary.

"No, there are houses all behind there. Come on, you can trust me, Caroline." But could she really? She had met Will eight days ago and had spoken to him only four of those days.

"Alright, I guess."

"Caroline? Will? S'il-vous plait!" Ms. Lockhart said; her voice agitated.

Will stopped talking to Caroline and she had no intention of starting another conversation. She wasn't sure if she would be able to muster up the courage to meet him after school. If she did though she would make sure to tell Ryan and Ella, and maybe have them stand nearby in case Will tried anything.

The class continued without a hitch and suddenly the bell rang, signalling escape for the class. But Caroline dreaded the shrill sound of the long ringing that seemed to stay in her ears long after the bell stopped ringing. She stood up and walked to her locker, questioning herself halfway down the hall but remembering a nearby bulletin board that acted as a marker.

She opened her locker and pulled out the jean jacket she had worn that morning, thinking it would be a cooler day but not needing it at all.

"Hey, Car," Ryan said when she got to his locker nearby. "You okay?" he questioned, when he saw her solemn face.

"Yeah, it's just-Will wants to talk to me by the bleachers at the back of the field and I'm kind of scared. You think you could hang around nearby in case something happens?"

"You aren't going to talk to him."

"Ryan."

"Caroline. You aren't going. I don't care if you have this feeling that you can trust him or whatever that bull-crap is that you always spew. _I_ don't trust him and I'm not letting you go talk to him in some secluded part of the field where nobody can hear you scream when he hurts you."

"That's why I want you to come. I need to hear him out, Ryan. And I don't need you permission to do so. So you can come and watch out for me or you can let me go by myself. Your choice." Caroline turned and started walking down the hall. She didn't know if she was going in the direction of the field but she kept on walking until she heard Ryan's footsteps beside her.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Ryan asked Caroline again, when they got to the bleachers. Will wasn't there yet so Ryan was trying to get Caroline to back out of talking to him.

"Yes, Ryan. I need to know what the hell his problem is with me, because honestly, I don'know what I did to make him hate me so much."

"You're right, you deserve some answers. I will be right over there, behind that tree, if you need me." Ryan grabbed her hand and then dropped it again quickly, his cheeks flushing. He walked over to a tree behind the bleachers, on a hill beside the field.

Caroline walked behind the bleachers and sat down, crossing her legs in the grass. She was thankful that she had opted for her dark wash jeans instead of her white capris; she knew the grass would have left stains. After five minutes of waiting Caroline pulled out her iPod and started to listen to one of her favourite playlists; it included Billy Joel, Elton John and Johnny Cash.

"I said hey!"Caroline jumped in her skin and looked up to see Will staring down at her, a lack of patience in his eyes.

Caroline pulled out her iPod and stuffed it in a pocket of her backpack. "Hey, sorry. I was trying to pass the time; you were late." Caroline didn't mean to make him feel bad or anything but she heard the bitchiness in her voice.

"Sorry, I got caught up with some guys in the halls." He left his explanation at that and Caroline didn't ask him to expand.

"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" By now Will had taken a seat on the grass across from Caroline, about three feet away.

"First off, I'm sorry for calling you a slut in the cafeteria and for fighting that wimp you call a friend."

"Thank you. I think."

"I just need to let you know that I have some issues. Personal issues. There are things going on with me that are making me stressed and anxious and _angry_ and I know I shouldn't take it out on you but I did. And I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I know what it's like to have things going on, things that are difficult to deal with. But it's good you understand that it isn't right to take it out on others. Especially when you just met me."

"I know. I'm sorry. I'm going to go now but I'll see you around, Caroline." Will stood up quickly and left Caroline sitting in the grass again; more confused than ever. She stood up and went to meet up with Ryan who had resorted to pulling out the shoots of grass to pass the time.

"Hey, how was it?" he asked when he saw Caroline approaching.

"Good. I guess. He didn't really explain anything but he apologized. About hurting you too. He just seemed really anxious like he was in a hurry to get somewhere." Ryan stood and the two headed back in the direction of the school. Caroline hadn't seen Ella since math class so she hadn't told her she was meeting Will. She hadn't expected Ella to still be at school so she was surprised to see her standing with Tasha, Krissa, Jane, Rachel and a few guys she had never seen before.

"Hey, Caroline. Where were you?" Ella asked, her voice void of emotion.

"I was talking, with Will," she said quietly. Everyone turned to look at her, as if noticing her for the first time.

"Will, Will Hutton? How do _you_ know Will?" one of the boys asked; blond with light brown eyes and an acne covered face.

"He's in her French class," Ryan intervened, trying to end the conversation there.

"Oh yeah, I'm in your class too." A taller, dark haired boy stepped forward. His eyes dark eyes sparkled and his mouth was turned up at the corners in a never ending smile as though he always thought something was funny. Caroline recognized him and his self-confidence. She didn't like the way he seemed to hold his head as though he thought he was better than everybody else.

"Paul, fix your hair, sweetie." Tasha moved _Paul_'s hair from his eyes and planted a kiss on his lips as though showing off in front of Caroline.

"Well, Ryan and I are going to head back to the hotel now. Are you coming, Ella?" Caroline asked after a few minutes of awkward silence.

"Yeah. I'll see you guys tomorrow." Ella waved goodbye as she followed Ryan and Caroline and Caroline could hear the girls groan with disappointment.

"So what did Will say?" Ella asked when they were farther away from the group. Caroline noticed she had returned to normal as though a switch had been flipped.

"He just apologized for that day in the cafeteria. That's it really."

"Okay. As long as he didn't try anything. You should've told me about it; I would've come with you for support."

"I hurried out to meet him. Sorry."

"Besides, I was there in case she needed help," Ryan added, sounding pleased that he had something over Ella.

"Right, like you'd be any help," Ella joked. Caroline found herself laughing along with Ryan and Ella and it felt like normal times again.

Their walk home was long but full of jokes, laughing and reminiscing on old memories. Caroline loved the feeling their time together gave her and she felt genuinely happy.

"How was _your_ day?" Ella had been telling Finn all about her day. He had phoned her just as she was getting back to their room after Caroline, Ryan and her had eaten dinner.

"Good. But it'd be better if I could see you."

"You mean you want to go somewhere? Tonight?"

"Yeah. I want to take you out. You ate dinner already but maybe we can go for a walk in Hyde Park? It's kind of a far walk but it will be a good time to talk."

Ella knew immediately that she didn't care about the circumstances; she just wanted to see Finn. "I'd love to, Finn. Meet me at the bench in ten?"

"See you in ten."Ella ended the call and threw her cellphone on her and Caroline's bed; squealing with delight.

"What's up?"Caroline asked, surprised at Ella's glee.

"I'm going out with Finn tonight. He just asked me. What should I wear? We're just going to walk around Hyde Park. Jeans right?" Ella quickly pulled on a pair of her tightest jeans, struggling to button them up around her thin waist.

"Jeans are fine, I guess. What time will you be back?" Caroline asked.

"I don't know. Hopefully not too late; Tasha and I are going to the _cinema_ tomorrow night so I'll be out late then."

"Oh, cool. Well, you better go then, I guess. Have fun," Caroline said glumly as she turned on the hotel room TV.

"Thanks," Ella cheered, oblivious to Caroline's negative tone.

Ella didn't have to wait long at the bus stop when Finn sat down next to her, startled Ella."Hey," he said, making Ella turn to look at him.

"Hi, Finn." They both stood and Finn took Ella's hand in his, guiding her in the direction of the park.

They walked a couple of blocks in a comfortable silence, both of them thinking of conversation starters. They had already talked about their days and Ella couldn't think of anything new and exciting going on.

"So," they both said simultaneously. Ella tried to stifle a small laugh.

"You first," Finn said smiling.

"I was just going to ask how Jack was doing. I barely spoke to him on Saturday; he was too busy with _Caroline_."

"Right. He's doing fine. I think he applied for a part-time job at some coffee shop so we'll see how that goes."

"Wait, he doesn't already have a job? I thought you both had jobs. How else can you two afford college _and_ that apartment?" Ella didn't hold in a gentle laugh this time.

"No I don't have a job. Not yet at least. I was thinking of applying at pub but haven't got around to it yet."

"So how can you two go to school and live at that nice apartment?" Ella asked, confused. Wasn't everything as expensive here as it was back home?"

"Our parents saved lots of money for us for school and my grand-parents have quite a bit of money." Finn said it casually, like it was the most natural thing to have that kind of money.

"Wow. I never would have guessed you and Jack would be rich, private school kind of boys,"Ella teased. She remembered the first night she had met Finn, how her feelings for him only consisted of hatred and loathing.

"I know you just want to see me in one of those uniforms. I would look _sexy_," Finn purred jokingly.

"You're right. That's all I ever think about, Finn. You in a private school uniform looking sexier than normal." Ella started giggling nervously, the image popping in to her head.

"It's good you're admitting it. It's not healthy to keep your feelings bottled up inside. You never know what might provoke you to do something irrational." He winked and Ella smiled shyly.

"Thank you, Dr. Finn. What do I owe you?"

"One kiss."

"That can be arranged," she said, leaning her head closer to his. They met half way, their lips touching softly. They stood still in the middle of the quiet sidewalk, Finn still holding Ella's hand.

"This is nice, Ella. I'm glad you came." Finn and Ella had reached the park after walking for forty five minutes at a slow, peaceful pace and now they were enjoying the setting sun sitting next to a pretty fountain.

"Me too. I like spending time with you, Finn," she admitted.

"I'm glad you feel that way. I really like you, Ell," Finn said, nervously.

"I _like_ you too," Ella agreed. She was thankful that he had used the term like instead of love.

Finn put his arm around Ella's shoulder, pulling her against his chest and closer to him. "Finn what are you doing?" she asked, surprised by the sudden physical contact.

"I just want to hold you close,"Finn said sweetly. "Besides, you smell _really_good," he added, the corners of his mouth curling up in a smile hidden from Ella's view.

"Well I like being close to you too," Ella said, ignoring Finn's second comment.

They sat together contently, looking out at the people walking by, sharing the park with them. There were late-evening joggers, dog-walkers and businessmen cutting through the park to get home. When the cool sun set the respectable people trickled slowly out of the park and the rougher crowd settled in their place. Ella felt Finn's arm tense up around her and she asked if he was ready to leave. "Yeah, I think it's time I get you back to the hotel." They stood and started walking back in the direction they had come, Finn making sure he held Ella tight, his arm still draped across her back.

"Hey, baby. You looking for a good time? I bet you'll like me better than your _boyfriend_."There were a group of young boys, all around Ella's age, standing in a cluster next to a tall tree. From the smell of the smoke their cigarettes weren't filled with tobacco.

"Don't answer him, Ella. Just keep your eyes forward," Finn said quietly, not looking down to make eye contact.

"Okay," she whispered in response.

The boys kept hooting and hollering at the pair, calling Finn names and trying to persuade Ella to ditch Finn for them. After five minutes of walking through the near-empty park Finn and Ella finally made it to the sidewalk. Other than the annoying heckling from the boys there had been no problems.

The rest of their walk was quiet and uneventful but Finn didn't take his arm off of Ella until they reached the hotel.

"That was a lot of fun, Finn," Ella said as they stood outside the hotel doors.

"Yeah it was nice spending time just the two of us."

"I better go. School tomorrow."

"Right. Well, good night, Ella. I will phone you tomorrow." Finn pecked Ella on the cheek gently and Ella turned to go through the doors. He stood and watched her, making sure she got on to the elevator. He turned and headed down the sidewalk after waving goodbye to her from the street.


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: Hey guys! We're sorry for the delays in putting up the chapters... exams and culminating assignments are starting and it's been kind of busy. But enough of our excuses... here's Chapter 12!**

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After school, Ella and Caroline met at the water fountain by the front entrance. The sun had decided to shine for the rest of the day after lunch but the rain from the morning was still present on the wet field. There were puddles around the goal posts and the trench that surrounded the field had been filled with rain.

"Are you seeing Finn tonight?" Caroline asked Ella as she took a sip from the fountain. Ella bobbed back up to look at Caroline.

"I don't think I'm going to see that boy for a long time," Ella said glumly.

"Why?" Caroline asked. "What happened?"

"Nothing," Ella said, shrugging Caroline off. "Wait, why are you asking? Did you make plans?"

"Okay," Caroline said plainly. "Well when I was in English, Will said that his friend Max is having a party tonight." Caroline pulled out the slip of paper Will had passed to her and handed it to Ella. Caroline hadn't read it yet. She didn't think she'd have to because all she expected to be written on the note was his phone number so she could contact him.

"I see. This Will guy isn't just a mate, is he?" Ella said with a fake British accent.

"Where did you get that from?" Caroline asked, completely shocked at Ella's not-so-subtle suggestion.

"His note," Ella said, laughing.

"Why? What does it say?" Caroline asked, snatching the note from Ella's tight grasp.

"Come find me, love. I'll be at..." Caroline's voice trailed off as she read the note aloud. She stopped in the middle, beginning to read in her head, and then read the last line out loud, more to herself than Ella. "Call me." Caroline looked up at Ella, finally taking her eyes off the paper in her hand.

"What?" Ella asked.

"Do you want to go?" Caroline asked Ella, hoping her reply would be a flat no. "I mean, you're probably not in a great mood because of whatever happened with Finn and we're both tired from gym so I understand if you don't want to-"

"I could use the company. It'll clear my head; take my mind off things." Ella had cut Caroline off.

"Really? You don't think some room service and a movie rental sounds like more fun?" Caroline offered.

"No. That sounds like about as much fun as watching paint dry. Do you not want to go out?"

"No, no, it's not that. If you want to go then we'll go," Caroline said, pushing her needs aside.

"Okay. Well we better get back to the hotel so you cannot make up your mind about an outfit and so I can sit on the bed and watch TV." Ella smiled at Caroline, looping her arm through her best friend's and the two walked to the bus stop on their way back to the hotel.

The loud music coming from the house was seeping through the open doors and windows and leaking onto the streets. Everyone within miles could hear - and feel - the harsh booming of the bass.

Ella and Caroline walked in through the front door, John, Ryan and Luke trailing behind them. Luke and John had been invited by Max himself since they'd become good friends on the first day they'd attended school in England.

Ryan scooted up to Max as soon as he saw him, they did a fancy handshake and John and Luke practically mirrored him. Ryan waved Ella and Caroline over to introduce them. Friendly gestures were exchanged; a few hugs and then the girls left the boys to discuss sports and video games.

"Do you want something to drink?" Caroline asked Ella as they both stood uncomfortably in the living room. Caroline wanted desperately to move away from the spotlight and find somewhere dark she could hide. She had nothing against Will, in fact she was happy he wanted to see her, but something about the feeling she got around Jack kept her from wanting to see Will. She didn't want to tie herself up in something she couldn't undo.

"Yeah. See if they have any Coke," Ella replied. "The drink," she added with a giggle. Caroline smiled and then disappeared into what she thought was the kitchen.

Caroline walked over to a counter. There was a glass bowl full of a pink liquid she assumed was punch, a couple of bags of chips that had spilled onto the floor and three stacks of plastic red cups. There were pop bottles in the far corner. Caroline grabbed two cups and filled one up with what she hoped was Coke and the other with pink lemonade. She took a sip of the sparkling neon-pink drink and then spit it all back out into her cup. The harsh taste of alcohol ran down Caroline's throat and burned as it went down. She got rid of most of it but the taste lingered in her mouth even after she'd spit out what she could.

"You don't like lemonade?" Caroline spun around to see a tall figure in front of her. She looked up and saw Will looking down on her.

"No," Caroline said, laughing a little. "I just didn't expect it to be that strong."

"Here," Will said, dumping Caroline's drink down the kitchen sink. He walked to the fridge, dug around a little and finally pulled out a still-sealed jar of fresh lemonade. He broke the tough seal and filled Caroline's cup. As he handed it to her, Caroline's fingers slid across Will's.

"Sorry. I didn't-"

"Don't be daft." Will smiled down at Caroline.

"Sorry I didn't call you. I meant to, I just thought, I'll probably see him here so why would I call?" Caroline started to ramble and suddenly she felt nervous. Why was she nervous to someone she didn't need to impress? She didn't get nervous around Jack even though he mattered. Will didn't matter.

Ella decided to take a seat on the couch by herself. There was a boy sitting at the other end with a girl perched on his lap. She was running her fingers through his hair and his hands were stroking her back. Ella gagged and looked away from the couple. Ella's left hip sunk when a large boy took a seat next to her. She turned to face the stranger and found his face familiar.

"So, what was that kiss all about earlier?" He asked.

"Charlie?" Ella asked, trying to find an angle at which his face was more visible.

"Yeah. At least you know my name. I can't say that I know yours." Charlie inched towards Ella, his hands at his sides.

"My name is Ella."

"So are you going to tell me why you kissed me today?" Charlie's grin was taunting and cheeky.

"It was a dare," Ella replied, avoiding making eye contact with him.

"Am I supposed to believe that?" Charlie asked.

"It's the truth. Believe what you want," Ella answered dryly.

"Who dared you?"

"Tasha."

"Of course," Charlie said with a nod.

"I need another drink," Ella said as she rose from the couch. She desperately needed an excuse to get away from Charlie.

As she stood, Charlie grabbed her wrist gently and pulled her back down to sit beside him. "I'll get it," he said kindly.

"No, it's okay. I need to eat something as well so I'll just get a plate."

"I'll get some food for the both of us."

"You don't know what I want," Ella said hoping he'd take a hint a back off.

"Tell me," Charlie said as he leaned in closer to Ella. She backed away from him.

"I'll be right back," Ella lied. She finally stood without Charlie latching onto her like a blood-sucking leech and walked into the kitchen. She looked around for Caroline but she was nowhere to be seen. Ella assumed that her friend had disappeared with Will or found some other boy to flirt with.

Ella refilled her plastic cup with Coke and took a long sip. She'd practically wiped out the entire glass so she decided to top it up one more time. When she'd finished her second helping, Ella inched towards the punch bowl and filled her cup with the pink drink. She took a sip, worried she wouldn't like the taste but instead of spitting it out like Caroline had done earlier, Ella took another sip. Soon, she'd downed two glasses of the sweet liquor and had forgotten to eat anything. Ella wasn't planning on drinking alcohol and had no intention of getting drunk but something about the fruity flavour that swooshed around in her mouth gave her a sensation of freedom.

Ella wandered around the house with yet another glass full of the punch. She looked at the picture on the walls; mostly family photos but Max's mom was apparently into gardening and flower-arrangements so there were lots of floral portraits. Ella admired the expensive vases and beautiful décor. In the dining room, a crystal chandelier hung from the detailed-ceiling. There was a massive oak table below the sparkling masterpiece and underneath all the crumbs, empty cups and spilled drink, Ella could imagine the cloth napkins, fine china and fresh flowers that would be on the table for Sunday dinner.

As Ella was about to turn back into the living room, she stopped, swivelled around on her heels and walked back in the other direction. She felt a slight tap on her right shoulder and spun around to find Charlie standing in front of him. Her sight was a little blurry and unreliable at first but when she caught herself before tumbling over, she recognized him right away.

"What do you want?" Ella asked angrily as if Charlie had been bugging her all night long.

"I want to get you drink. You didn't let me before," Charlie answered, smiling.

"Well, as you can see, I already have a drink. So thanks, but no thanks." Ella turned to walk away but Charlie grabbed her arm and pulled her against his chest. She looked up at him, glaring at his chiseled face. He was very attractive with his short dark hair and his blue eyes. He smiled at her sweetly, showing his white teeth, his dimples concaving in his tan cheeks.

"Why do you keep avoiding me, Ella?" he asked, making sure to emphasize her name, to show he hadn't forgotten it.

"I-I," she stammered, unable to find an explanation. She couldn't remember why she was avoiding him. Here was a gorgeous guy, who she had _already_ kissed, that was obviously in to her. And where was Finn? Probably trying to get back all the time he had wasted on Ella.

"Right. So, how about we spend some time together and get to know each other. We've already kissed so it seems we're doing things backwards." Charlie's smile got even bigger when Ella nodded and let her body relax in Charlie's hands. He led her back onto the couch and shooed the two drunken girls who were laughing hysterically.

"Tell me about yourself, Ella," Charlie said when they were seated comfortably on the sunken couch.

"What do you want to know, Charlie?" Ella giggled, though the conversation felt too familiar and she had to force her mind not to turn back to Finn.

"Everything." He winked at her and leaned in closer, showing he was ready to hear all she had to say.

"It's so nice out here," Caroline said quietly, the thought escaping her mind. Her and Will had left the confinements of Max's crowded house and sought a more comfortable refuge outside in his back garden, on a wooden bench near the back fence.

"Yeah, I like being outside. It helps me clear my head, to think properly," Will commented, his eyes glued on the bright moon shining in the dark sky. Caroline found her gaze going up to see the stars in the sky. A sudden loneliness came over her. She thought of her mom and dad and sister at home. What were they doing? When they looked at the sky that night, would they see the same stars as her? For the first time since she'd arrived in London she felt so far away from them. She decided she would take a minute to call them tomorrow morning and tell them how she was doing.

"Will, why have your feelings towards me changed? Drastically too," Caroline said cautiously. She didn't know how he would react and didn't want to provoke him, especially when they were outside alone.

"What do you mean?" His voice was flat and Caroline didn't know if that was a good thing or bad.

"I mean, the first week of school you hated me and were quite _rude_. But now, now you're inviting me to parties and being nice to me and telling me to _call_ you. I just don't understand how your feelings could change so quickly."

"Can I tell you something?" Will asked, completely ignoring Caroline's question.

"No," Caroline said harshly. "I'm trying to figure you out."

"I like you. At first, I didn't know how to act or what to do about it. I thought that if I pushed you away, you'd be intrigued and want to get to know me but when you did the exact opposite of what I'd hoped, I thought I should try a different approach."

Caroline didn't say anything. She just sat there, next to Will, in silence. Caroline didn't know what to say. She was confused, surprised and everything she'd thought about Will disappeared. She didn't judge him, but she didn't know if she should say something about Jack, tell him he was crazy, tell him how she felt or if kissing him was even a possibility.

"It's so loud in here!" Charlie exclaimed loudly. He and Ella had moved on from _talking_ with their lips to making out.

Ella didn't speak a reply. Instead she kissed his lips more fervently, more confidently. All thoughts of Finn and how much she would regret this were far from her mind as her lips started exploring Charlie's upper body.

"Let's go somewhere quieter," Charlie tried again. Ella knew what he meant; he wanted them to go to a bedroom, somewhere more private. But she didn't care about what that might lead to; she just didn't want to lose the warmth of Charlie's body so close to hers. She nodded in agreement and pulled herself off of his soft lap, grabbing his wrist and pulling him in the direction of the stairs near the front door. They ran up, Ella laughing giddily, the alcohol bubbling in her stomach.

They found an empty bedroom that looked like the guest room. The walls were bare; they were missing the family photos that covered every inch of wall space on the lower level.

"Perfect," Charlie said, walking over to the bed. He sat on the bed and started to unbutton his dark red dress shirt. Ella tripped over herself as she walked over and landed on the bed, stomach down. She felt a wave of exhaustion surge through her body and she suddenly wanted to cuddle under the covers of the bed and sleep. She had lost whatever feeling she had had downstairs on the couch. But Charlie hadn't. If anything, it had intensified for him and he rolled Ella over onto her back, his hands lingering on her waist.

"You're so," Charlie paused and kissed Ella's ear, his lips hovering beside the lobe as he purred, "hot."

"Charlie I-" Ella didn't get to finish; Charlie's lips found their way back to Ella's, silencing her. But she wasn't feeling the fire from before. She tried to push him off of her but he thrust himself against her, forgetting how to be gentle.

Ella tried to enjoy herself but she kept imaging the scene at Finn's house in her head. When she opened her eyes to try to get the images out of her mind, Charlie's eyes bore in to hers with a furious passion.

When Charlie pulled back for breath Ella took the chance to get him off of her. She pushed him off gently and started to explain, "I think I should go back downstairs. My friend is probably looking for me."

"Okay. I'll come with you." He stood up and put his shirt back on, not bothering to button it up all the way. Ella could see his toned chest through the open slit and the feeling started coming back. The alcohol was making her thoughts muffled but she ignored the pain in her head and followed Charlie downstairs. They found their way back to the couch and sat down casually.

As soon as she felt Charlie's knee brush against hers she felt the energy pulse through her system again. "Kiss me," she said, pulling Charlie closer by the collar of his shirt. They returned to their original rhythm and things felt fine again, aside from Ella's pounding head and hurting heart. She knew what she was doing was beyond wrong but she just felt an attraction to Charlie's lips that the alcohol seemed to multiply.

"Say something," Will said sadly. "Please."

"I don't know what to say." Caroline didn't take her eyes off her hands. She was fiddling with her fingers, twisting the bracelets on her wrists and rings on her fingers. "I don't know what to say."

"Are you mad?"

"No," Caroline replied.

"Are you sad?"

"No," Caroline replied.

"Are you happy?"

"I don't know," Caroline said with a casual shrug.

"Can I kiss you?" Will asked, leaning towards Caroline. Finally taking her eyes off her lap, Caroline looked up to meet Will's gaze, placing her hand gently on his shoulder and pushing him a little farther back.

"No," Caroline said softly. "I can't."

"Oh," Will said. He sank back, his shoulders falling.

"It's not that I don't want to; I do. It's just," Caroline paused. "I have a boyfriend."

"Who?" Will asked, suddenly interested again. His shoulders rose again as he moved closer to Caroline.

"You don't know him," Caroline said.

"Does he go to our school?"

"No," Caroline replied, wishing she was anywhere else but here. She didn't want to hurt Will any more than she already had.

"I just want one kiss," Will pleaded. He looked as though he was willing to get down on his hands and knees to beg.

"I want to but-"

"Then do it," Will said, his voice soft, not harsh. His hand slid across the wooden bench in the space between them and covered hers. Caroline didn't pull her hand away. She closed her eyes, wishing this would be okay. Wishing she could kiss every boy that had made her feel special.

"I'm so sorry, Will." Caroline rose from the bench before Will could say anything and disappeared into the crowd. Will sat on the bench, alone, outside, his face buried in his hands.

"Come on, Ella," Caroline said, pulling Ella off the lap of a boy she didn't recognize. Ella lips were locked with his but Caroline didn't have time to ask questions.

"What?" Ella asked, sitting back down on Charlie's lap. Ella turned away from Caroline and looked into Charlie's eyes. He smiled up at her and she smiled back. "I have to go, but we can catch up a little later." Ella stood up, gave a wink and waved as she exited the room, tagging along behind Caroline who rushed out of the house so fast she nearly knocked down a girl who was pouring a drink.

Ella and Caroline returned to the hotel, both of them tired and eager to crawl into the warm, untouched hotel bed. Caroline craved the feeling of her soft pyjamas whereas all Ella wanted was to flop down, belly0first, onto the mattress and close her eyes.

When the two girls were both settled, after Caroline had brushed her teeth and forced Ella to do the same, they lay next to each other. Caroline sat up, her eyes refusing to shut, next to Ella who stared at the blank ceiling above her.

"You still up?" Ella asked Caroline after about twenty minutes of pure silence.

"I can't sleep," Caroline replied.

"What's wrong?"

"What isn't," Caroline said glumly.

"Tell me about it," Ella mumbled under her breath. "What are you thinking about?" Ella finally asked.

"If you fell for two _amazing_ boys, how would you know which one to choose?" Caroline asked.

"Well I'd probably think about how they make me feel. You don't want to be with someone who makes you feel like crap."

"Did you miss the part where I said they were both amazing?" Caroline asked.

"Right, right," Ella said with a heavy sigh. "Well a wise man once said, 'If you love two people at the same time, pick the second one, because if you really loved the first one, you wouldn't have fallen for the second.'" Ella giggled to herself but Caroline's expression remained serious and thoughtful.

"Didn't Johnny Depp say that?" Caroline asked.

"Yeah. It's true when you think about though, right?"

"Yeah," Caroline said. "I guess it is." Caroline thought for a while about her situation. If what Mr. Depp said was true, Caroline would choose Will. But then her mind wandered off to think about Jack and how sweet he'd been. How was she supposed to even think about choosing between two people she'd known for a mere two weeks?


	13. Chapter 13

**AN: Wow, over 400 views! That's so awesome! Thank you all so much! Here's Chapter 13! A lot of stuff goes down! **

**_Write to be understood, speak to be heard, READ TO GROW.~ Lawrence Clark Powell_**

******Happy reading!**

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"Your phone is going crazy Caroline," Ella said across the room to Caroline who was peering out of the bathroom with a hairbrush in one hand and a toothbrush in the other.

"Is someone calling me?" Caroline asked.

"I think so but it hasn't stopped buzzing since you asked me to turn it on."

"Who is it? Can you check?" Caroline asked, ignoring Ella's remark.

"It's Will," Ella said slowly. Caroline emerged fully from the washroom and just stared at Ella.

"Should I answer it?" Ella asked. Caroline shrugged so Ella pressed _talk._

"Hello?" Ella said, putting the phone to her ear. Caroline watched nervously from the bathroom door.

"Yeah, she's right here." Ella walked towards Caroline and handed her the phone with a big grin across her face.

Caroline took the phone after putting down her toothbrush. "Hello," she said hesitantly.

"Hey, Caroline. It's Will. I just wanted to know what you're up to today," Will answered. Caroline couldn't tell by the tone of his voice whether or not he was mad or hurt about what had happened at the party last night.

"I, um, am going out with Ella and our roommates, Lindsay and Morgan," Caroline said, trying to make it sound believable. She had never told Will how much she and Ella disliked the two airheads. Ella looked at Caroline, her jaw dropped and her eyebrows raised. She shook her head and mouthed "Hell no." Caroline just rolled her eyes and turned to talk with her back to Ella.

"Oh okay. You're busy then. Because I was going to ask you if we could meet up and _talk_." He sounded disappointed but Caroline ignored his tone and tried to end the awkward conversation. She didn't want to have to deal with Will and his _feelings_ today. It was Saturday; a day to relax and spend time doing things for herself to make herself happy.

"Oh yeah, sorry. We can talk on Monday though, after school maybe?" Caroline hated herself for being so rude but she was too confused to have a whole conversation with Will.

"Yeah, Monday. I will see you then."

"Bye," Caroline said sadly before ending the call. As soon as she turned back to face Ella, she started complaining.

"I am _not_ going to hang out with those two fashion-loving, illiterate idiots!" Ella yelled. Caroline put her finger to her mouth to quiet Ella. Lindsay and Morgan were fast asleep, still dressed in their clothes from the night before. Ella didn't care, she knew they wouldn't be up anytime soon; they had stumbled into the hotel room around three in the morning, drunk and falling on top of each other.

"Obviously, Ella! I just said that because; well, because I didn't know what else to say. He wanted to see me today to _talk_ and I just, I don't know what I'd say. I'm so confused." Caroline went back into the bathroom and closed the door behind her, sliding down the cool wall until she hit the white tiled floor. She drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them comforting herself.

After what felt like hours, Ella wrapped the bathroom door lightly and asked if Caroline was okay. "Yeah, I'm fine," she answered pushing herself up off of the ground and turning to open the door. Her hand rested on the doorknob when she paused to look at herself in the big, wall to wall mirror. Everything about her reflection screamed SAD! Her eyes looked lost and needy, her posture was closed and heavy and her face was empty of any joy or happiness. She hated the way she looked so depressed. She was in London for God's sake! She vowed to forget about Will and Jack and all the crap going on with them and have a good time for the little time she had left in the beautiful city that she hadn't had a real chance to explore yet.

She left the bathroom and her sad self behind and walked into the hotel room. Ella was back on Caroline's phone and she held up her hand to Caroline.

"Great. We'll be there at 1:30," Ella said into the phone.

"Of course! We can't wait! See you then. Bye, Jack." Caroline gasped. Ella was talking to Jack and from what she had heard Ella had made plans for them to see him this afternoon.

"Was that Jack? What did he want? What did he say?" Caroline suddenly felt guilty. She didn't know why but she felt like she had dishonoured Jack's trust.

"Yeah that was Jack. He phoned asking for you but I said you were busy. He wants to take us to the beach this afternoon! We're meeting him in front of the hotel at 1:30." Ella sounded pleased with herself as though she didn't even see Caroline's reaction.

"No! I can't. I feel so bad about what happened with Will and me last night! How am I supposed to face Jack now?"

"_What_ happened? I thought you too just talked. I _thought_ you said no when he asked to kiss you." Ella crossed her arms over her chest and looked at Caroline skeptically.

"Yeah that's all. But I just feel bad like maybe I led him on?"

"Oh my gosh, Caroline. Stop punishing yourself; you did nothing wrong! What you did was great, something that everyone would want their girlfriend to do!"

"Are you sure?" Caroline asked.

"Yes! Now let's go eat breakfast; I'm suddenly starving!" Ella looped her arm through Caroline's and they walked down to the breakfast buffet, Ella humming a cheerful song the whole way down. Caroline tried to act happy but she still felt awful. She was thankful for Ella's opinion and help but she still wasn't convinced that what she had done was okay.

"Hey, Caroline," Jack said as Caroline got into the front seat next to him. Ella pulled opened the heavy car door to the back and felt her heart stop for a second when she saw Finn sitting there, smiling at her.

"Finn, you're coming with us?" Ella asked, sliding across the leather seat and closing the door with a slam.

"Why, you don't want me to?" he asked teasingly.

"Of course I do. I just didn't expect you to be here. That's all." She suddenly understood why Caroline was so wary about coming that afternoon; she felt guilty.

"Well as long as it was a pleasant surprise I'm happy." Ella nodded and feigned a smile.

"Am I still going to your band's gig tonight?" Ella asked. She wondered whether or not Finn had seen the picture on the text. Maybe she'd be lucky and he didn't check his phone at all in the past 24 hours.

"Yeah! You still want to come right?"

"I'm really excited to go."

"Good. I'm excited you're going to be there." Finn placed his hand lightly on Ella's knee and she had to stop herself from pulling away. His touch made her feel trapped, claustrophobic in the small back seat of Jack's car.

In the front seat, Caroline was having a similar difficulty to put on a cheerful front.

"Are you okay, Caroline?" Jack asked nervously.

"Um, yeah, I'm fine. So, how long 'til we get to the beach?" she asked, trying to sound normal.

"Another hour I'd say. We're not going to the Atlantic Ocean; that's too far. We're going to the North Sea." Caroline raised an eyebrow, but then remembered that London wasn't _that_ close to the sea.

Jack parked the car in a small parking lot facing the blue water. It's waves crashed roughly against the beach and Caroline could hear the cries of gulls and excited children when she stepped outside of the car. Ella and Finn followed. Caroline could hear Finn talking softly, to only Ella's ears, and she saw how Ella wasn't putting down her tough front.

"So, we can walk along the shore that way," Jack pointed down the beach to the right, "Until we get to a chippie and then head back. Maybe we'll find an ice cream shop on the way back. It's a nice enough day for ice cream, don't you guys think?" Jack was trying to get Finn and Ella to join Caroline and him but Finn was pulling Ella down the shore already, still muttering things to her that only she could hear.

"Ell, please. Just tell me what's wrong. I hate seeing you like this. It's hurting me more than you think," Finn pleaded, as he and Ella walked slowly down the beach, the rough water threatening to engulf their innocent shoes.

"Nothing. It's nothing. It's so nice, the seaside. I've only ever been to the beach once; when my dad and I went to Vancouver Island for March Break one year," Ella said casually, trying her best to change the subject. She wasn't trying to be obvious about her mood but as soon as she saw Finn she felt more hatred towards herself and more guilt than she had ever felt before.

Finn put his hand in front of Ella to stop her. She turned to him, their bodies facing, and avoided his eyes.

"I know about that kiss," Finn said, surprising Ella.

She didn't answer. Instead she looked into his eyes, trying to show her regret. He just darted his eyes to look at the water behind her and continued talking.

"I don't understand. I don't understand why you kissed him, or why you got a picture taken _or_ why you sent it to me!"

"It was a dare, Finn! Just a stupid, childish dare that I never should have agreed to do. But I did and it didn't mean anything! And I didn't know they were going to send you a picture of it!"

"A dare? I was so confused, trying to figure out whether or not you were trying to tell me we were done or what. I could barely sleep last night, Ella. You didn't call or text, I just assumed we were over. And then Jack says you three are going out so of course, I came, to see what the hell was going on."

"I am so sorry, Finn. But you have to know, I would _never_ do that to you. Not in my right mind," she added, to make herself feel better about the party.

"And I would never do it to you. I guess we're even now then? We can clear the slate, start over?"

"I'd like that," Ella said. They resumed walking, their pace just as slow. "Why didn't you say anything then?" Ella asked.

"I wanted to see if you'd confess. I thought you would, but when you didn't I thought, maybe I'll have to pry it out of her."

"I was going to tell you. I just didn't know how or when."

"I believe you. Now, let's go find that chippie." Finn took Ella's hand and things went back to normal. But on the inside, Ella was fighting with herself. She should tell him the truth; that's not all that happened. But she didn't want to ruin this moment, this afternoon, and this day. She wanted so badly to see his band and spend the whole day with him and she vowed to herself that she would tell him after the show. She put the whole scenario in the back of her mind and started to really enjoy herself as they walked along the sandy shore, talking and laughing like nothing had happened.

"These are, by far, the best French fries I've ever had!" Ella and Finn were sharing a basket of fries and were sitting across from Caroline and Jack, their split basket in between them. Caroline nodded eagerly in agreement. "Same here! Much better than the ones at Kevin's diner," she said.

"French fries? I think you mean _chips_," Finn said smiling. He took a fry and fed it to Ella. Caroline winced as they shared a loving moment right in front of Jack and her.

"So, I think I saw an ice cream parlour on our way over here," Jack said, trying to make the moment less awkward for Caroline and him.

"Yes, I could go for an ice cream right about now," Ella said, giggling. Caroline hated that Finn had accepted what Ella had done and things were back to normal, if not better than before. It was killing her more and more every time she thought about what had happened with Will but she couldn't find the right time to tell Jack.

The ride back felt longer and Caroline tried her best not to give in to her fatigue and fall asleep in the comfortable front seat. The radio was on but turned down so low she could barely make out what song was playing. Ella and Finn were cuddling together in the back seat, so close Ella was almost on top of Finn. If they didn't have to wear their seatbelts she probably would be.

"So, Finn said he's bringing Ella to his band's show tonight and I was wondering, if you aren't busy or too tired, maybe you'd want to come back to our place for dinner and a movie?" Jack asked, breaking the silence that had fallen between him and Caroline.

Caroline thought about it for a minute and said yes after thinking that it would be the perfect place to tell Jack what had happened last night.

"We don't have a very big movie selection but the ones we do have are the best ones out there," Jack said, sitting down next to Caroline on the couch. He placed a big bowl of popcorn on the coffee table next to a bowl of chocolate covered peanuts and two glasses of lemonade.

"I'm sure they are." Jack went to get a basket of movies from under the TV and Caroline started filing through them. She glanced at each title briefly, not paying much attention to her choices. How would she be able to sit through an entire movie with Jack, with the guilt bubbling up inside of her like a volcano?

Caroline moved the basket of movies off of her lap and put it gently on the floor in between her and Jack's feet, trying to create some distance.

"What's wrong? You don't want to watch a movie?" Jack asked.

"Last night at the party, Will from my French class told me liked me and he asked to kiss me and I said no but I thought of saying yes. And then I told him I had a boyfriend, you, and left him all alone and went back to the hotel." Caroline gasped for air, trying to catch her breath after her long, fast explanation. She had wanted to ease into it but it just came out.

"Oh. I see. So did you want to kiss him?" Jack didn't sound mad, or upset, just curious.

"Kind of. I'm sorry, Jack."

"Caroline, you're allowed to have feelings for other people and want to kiss them. We aren't exclusive, as much as I want to be, and I respect any feelings you have for other guys."

"Really? Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. But does this mean you don't have feelings for _me_?" Again his face was more curious than hurt.

"I don't know. This guy, Will, he's different."

Jack nodded. He opened his mouth to say something then closed it again. He leaned in and Caroline knew what was coming. She put her hand up in front of Jack's face and he sat back in his seat.

"I can't kiss you." It was more of a statement than a question.

"I need time to figure out what's going on. Can you respect that?"

"Of course. I just, I wish I had asked you to kiss me, or to be my girlfriend, before it was too late. Before something like _this_ happened."

"I do too," Caroline admitted.

"Well, I'm really thankful you told me, Caroline."

"You deserved to know. And I shouldn't have led either of you on like that."

"I don't think it would've changed either of our feelings for you."

"Can we watch a movie now?" Caroline asked, picking up the basket and placing it back on her lap. She chose the first one she saw; Ghostbusters, and handed it to Jack. He quickly put it in the DVD player and turned the lights off, making his way back to the couch in the dark. Caroline settled back into the couch. She thought explaining what had happened to Jack would clear thing up for her but it did just the opposite; she was more confused than ever. She knew one thing for sure; she would need to talk to Will Monday, at school.

"I can't believe I'm going to hear your band play. This is, amazing, Finn. Thank you." Ella and Finn were driving to the bar where Strike 13 was playing.

"Thank you for coming. You're the first girl I felt comfortable enough with to play for." Ella looked over at Finn's profile. She loved the way his nose turned up a bit whenever he smiled and she wanted to reach out and stroke his soft cheek. Staring at him, she noticed a small beauty mark behind his left ear and smiled. She was surprised he wasn't covered in beauty marks; he was the most beautiful boy she knew.

"Here we are. I guess we can park around back and go in through the sta-" Ella interrupted Finn's commentary with a fiery kiss. She pulled his shirt to make him face her and fought against the urge to climb out of her seat and into his. She needed him, needed to feel his kiss before the night was over and ruined, when she told him about Charlie. Ella tried her hardest to breathe in all of his smell, to kiss him as hard and as much as she could. Finn pulled away slowly, trying to be sincere, but Ella still didn't feel fulfilled. She got out of the car grudgingly but decided not to waste the night by being in a bad mood. The shimmer of joy in Finn's eyes signalled that she would be enjoying more of him throughout the night.

"We're going to take a short break and then we'll be back with more songs for you all!" Leo, the lead singer of the band, called out to the crowd before the four band mates filed off of the stage, giddy and excited. Leo, Ricky, the bass-guitarist and Shawn, the lead-guitarist, loved Ella and made sure she knew it. They got her drink after drink, snack after snack. Finn kept trying to sit down next to her but each side was always occupied.

"Why are you going out with this ball-sack when you can be with me?" Leo asked, attempting yet again to get Ella to show him _any_ interest.

"Because I happen to like ball-sacks." The band burst out in a roar of laughter and Ella took the distraction as a good opportunity to escape. She leapt off the black leather couch and rushed over to Finn who was sitting on a tall stool near the back wall back-stage where they were all hanging out.

"Glad you could join me," he said, trying hard not to smile. Ella jumped onto his strong lap and turned sideways, looping her arms around the back of his neck.

"Glad to know you missed me." This time Finn started the kiss. He wrapped his arms around her back and pulled her closer, their chests pressed up against one another. Ella fiddled with Finn's hair absentmindedly while Finn started to trail Ella's neck with his lips.

"I need to tell you something," Ella said, not thinking.

"Not now. Now we kiss. Later we talk." Finn kissed her lips again; the conversation was over.

Halfway through the movie, Caroline couldn't take it anymore. She needed to be alone, away from Jack and her wandering mind. She needed time to herself to really think about what she wanted and to make sense of her heart.

"Jack, I really don't feel well. Could you drive me back to the hotel?" she asked, trying her best to sound unwell.

"Of course." He turned the movie off and stood to turn on the lights. He grabbed Caroline's bag and handed it to her, then took his keys off the hook and they left for the car.

Jack kept trying to make conversation on the ride home but Caroline was too distraught to commit to talking. When they arrived she thanked him sincerely and walked upstairs to the hotel room. She knew she was hurting Jack by putting him in between Will and her heart but she didn't know how to handle everything that was going on.

She got ready for bed silently and swiftly. She turned on the TV once she was in the comfortable bed and let her mind relax. She fell asleep eventually, nothing but the beach on her mind.

"You were so good, Finn. I wish I could stay longer and see you guys play again!" Ella said as they headed to the car outside. Leo, Shawn and Ricky had been hesitant to see Ella go but Finn lied and said they'd see her another time.

They'd just reached the car when Ella stopped Finn. "Can I tell you that thing now?" she said awkwardly. She didn't want to tell him in the car, where she would be trapped and he would be trapped and where he could get distracted and lose control of the car.

"Sure. Are you okay?" Finn leaned against the driver's door and held Ella's hands in his. She wanted to wiggle them free from his grasp but left them there. She would regret any chance she didn't take to feel his loving touch once she told him.

"Okay. Well, that boy in the picture, Charlie? He was at the party Caroline and I went to last night. He was bothering me and I kept trying to shake him off by excusing myself to get a drink. So I kept going to get drinks and eventually I was pretty tipsy. The next time he came over to me I didn't shoo him away; I went to this couch with him and we sat and started talking. Well as best we could; we were both pretty drunk." Ella stopped to examine Finn's face but it was plain, expressionless. She sighed then continued. "I don't know if it was the alcohol or the fact that I thought you would never talk to me again after you saw that picture but I kissed him. And I didn't stop. Soon we were making out and he brought me to a bedroom and I knew he wanted to have sex but I stopped him. We went back to the couch and I thought it was done but we started again and I couldn't stop. Caroline took me home, I passed out and this morning I woke up with a huge headache and a guilty hole in my heart." Ella stopped and looked back up at Finn. She saw a single tear in his eye, on the brim of falling, but he stayed silent, letting the words sink in.

"Finn, please say something," she mumbled.

"I can't believe you. After all this time, everything that's happened, you let one stupid picture and some drinks ruin it all."

"Finn I'm so sorry."

"No, save the apologies, Ella. I thought; I've finally found the girl for me. It doesn't matter that she's younger; she's intelligent and clever and I know she's the perfect one for me. But I was wrong; you're immature and naïve and I should never have fallen in love with you." Finn got into the car and started the engine. Ella stared after him as he drove away; the tears falling freely now. The car stopped suddenly and reversed until it came right back to Ella. Finn rolled the window down. "Get in. I'll drive you back to the hotel," he snapped.

Ella walked over to the other door and got in; keeping her head down so Finn couldn't see her tear-stained cheeks or her puffy eyes. Finn put the radio on and turned it up loud, letting the music fill the spaces between the two.

When they got to the hotel Finn didn't say anything. He just unlocked the car door and Ella walked out, fighting with herself to not turn around and look at him. At the last second, before she got inside the lobby, she turned back and saw his sad face watching her. He slid his hand across his cheek, wiping a tear that was invisible to Ella, and drove away.

Ella ran to the elevator and all the way to her and Caroline's room before she let herself cry. When she reached the room she climbed into the blankets, leaving her shoes and clothes on, and cried herself to sleep. She didn't even care if Lindsay, Morgan, or a sleeping Caroline could hear her; she just needed to release her hurt.


	14. Chapter 14

**OMG! We're so sorry! Exams and projects have been taking up so much of our time lately! It's not a good excuse and we're so sorry. :( But... someone reviewed! So thank you so much! Our first review! :D**

**Without further ado... chapter 14! Finally, eh? Enjoy! :D**

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Ella and Caroline rushed to catch the bus just as it was pulling away from the stop. The driver frowned at the girls but they just gave him forgiving smiles and slipped their tickets down the slot. They found a pair of seats near the back of the bus and Ella struggled to catch her breath while Caroline unzipped her jacket and loosened her hoodie strings.

"Sorry, Car," Ella said between breaths.

"It's okay, Ella, don't worry about it." Caroline looked at Ella and smiled kindly.

The other latecomers joined Caroline and Ella as they hurried down the halls with every single book they needed for every single class because they'd forgotten which ones they actually needed.

"I'll see you at lunch," Caroline said as she watched Ella disappear down the hallway.

"Okay. Meet me here." Ella pointed to the front doors of the library.

Ella walked to her first period – gym – and couldn't help but dread seeing Tasha's face so early in the morning. The last thing she wanted was her recent enemy teasing her about the prank she'd played on her.

"Ella!" Tasha exclaimed when Ella stepped in to the silent gym. All of the girls had already changed and warmed up. "So glad you decided to join us."

"Change then five laps, Ella," the teacher shouted from the other end of the gym. She was half in the storage closet and the other half of her was looking around the door at the girls in the gym. She stuck her hand behind the door and pulled out a bag of jerseys and a bag of rugby balls.

Ella walked into the change rooms and changed as slowly as she possibly could, hoping the rest of the class would have already started rugby drills so that she could do her five laps without everyone's attention on her and only her.

Ella slowly found her way back down to the gym after running. She tried to stop her speeding heart and heavy breathing. She was exhausted and ready to shower and go back to bed but there was still a whole period of gym and the rest of the school day to suffer through.

When she went down to the gym the girls were splitting up into pairs and getting rugby balls to practice throwing. Tasha walked over to Ella; Rachel and Jane following closely behind. Ella looked around and saw Krissa looking at them anxiously.

"How's it going with you and Finn?" Tasha asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

Ella was about to reply with a snide remark but she stopped herself. It wasn't Tasha's fault that Finn wasn't talking to her or that their relationship was, as far as she knew, over and it wasn't Tasha's fault that Ella had gotten drunk at the party and made out with Charlie.

Ella walked away from the three girls and went to stand next to Krissa. "Hey," she said.

"Hi. What did Tasha say to you?" Krissa asked, avoiding Ella's eyes.

"Nothing that matters." Ella and Krissa walked absentmindedly to the supply closet and Ella grabbed a rugby ball. They came upon a silent, unanimous decision to be partners. They spent the rest of the period doing drills together. They didn't need to talk; each other's company as enough.

Ten minutes before the end of the period, Tasha came over to Ella and Krissa, one manicured hand on her hip. "Ella, could we talk?"

"I'm kind of busy, Tasha." Ella motioned to Krissa and the rugby ball.

"I don't mean now, silly! Meet me by the field at lunch, okay?"

"Why? What do you want to talk about?"

"Just meet me there and you'll find out!" Tasha walked away without waiting for Ella's reply.

"I told her not to do it," Krissa said, when she and Ella were in the change room after class. She kept her head and voice low so no one would overhear her.

"Who? Do what?" Ella asked, slipping her shirt on overtop of her tank top.

"Tasha. I told her not to send that picture to Finn but she wouldn't listen. She kept saying how it would be funny and it was just a joke."

"Oh. Thanks, Krissa."

"Did you talk to him?" Krissa asked, genuine concern sketched on her face.

"Yeah. And I told him what else happened with Charlie and me."

"What else happened?" The girls had finished changing and were walking upstairs to go to their second period class.

"We went to that party on Friday and he was there and we both got kind of drunk and we were making out. _Really_ making out."

"Oh my gosh! You and Charlie?!" Krissa did a good job supressing a laugh but her smile betrayed her.

"What? What's so hard to believe about that?" Ella didn't know why she was defending the idea of her and Charlie together.

"He has a girlfriend!"

Ella stopped in her tracks. "What?" She couldn't believe that Charlie had knowingly cheated on his girlfriend with Ella. But then she realized she had done the same thing to Finn.

"Yeah. She doesn't go to this school but they're awfully serious."

"He never mentioned her at all."

"Maybe he didn't want to scare you away," Krissa commented insightfully.

"I don't care. It's over and done with and I just want to move on and forget about that night. I mean, I have less than a week left in England! I don't want to ruin it by staying in the past!"

"That's the spirit! Now let's go to class," Krissa said. Ella followed her up the stairs and they parted when they reached Krissa's art room. "I'll see you later, Ella," Krissa said, before entering the busy studio.

"Bye, Krissa. And thanks. You're a good friend." With that, Ella walked down the hallway to her next class and made it just before the bell.

Caroline stood by herself as she waited patiently for Ella in front of the library. She had her backpack slung over her shoulder and she clenched her phone tightly with the hand that wasn't gripping her shoulder strap. Caroline glanced around, in hopes of spying Ella walking towards her but Ella was nowhere to be seen.

Caroline remained on her own for another twenty minutes when she decided she'd waited long enough for someone to never show. Caroline had called, texted and left three messages, none of which Ella and answered to.

On her way out of the school, Caroline noticed a group of Will's friends lingering by the front door.

"Hey, have you guys seen Will?" Caroline asked, stopping by the group on her way past them.

"No, love, he's sick," said a tall boy standing fairly close to Caroline. He had deep brown hair and pale blue eyes. His shoulder were broad but he was only about an inch taller than Caroline, unlike Will, who towered over her.

"Oh," Caroline said. "Is he okay?"

"Yeah, it's just a cold." It was the same boy who answered; the others just looked at Caroline.

"Okay. Thanks," Caroline said as she turned to walk away.

"Hey, love, you should call him," said the dark-haired boy.

"Why?" Caroline asked, turning around to face him again.

"He wants to talk to you," he replied with a smile. It wasn't a happy smile, or a sad one. It was as if he felt sorry for his friend.

"Will do," Caroline said finally as she turned and headed towards the Starbucks across the road from the school.

Caroline sat in French class, at the back of the room, all by herself. No one to talk to, no one to laugh with.

The teacher spoke slowly, or so it seemed, and the minutes dragged on like hours. Caroline stared out the window but nothing seemed to make the time go faster. She tapped her pen against her desk, spun her rings around her fingers, wrote her name in cursive in her notebook several times and even Google-searched baby elephants out of boredom.

By the end of the day, Caroline had put all of her leftover energy into the desk doodles she'd left for tomorrow's first period class.

Caroline waited for Ella once again at the library. Ella was quick this time. She was beside Caroline in less than thirty seconds.

"Where were you at lunch? Why didn't you show up?" Caroline asked, her voice slightly harsher than usual.

"I got held up," Ella said with guilt written across her face.

"What did you do?" Caroline asked, knowing immediately something was up.

"Tasha wanted to talk to me and asked to meet me by the field. She didn't show up, I waited, I was about to text you but then Charlie saw me and took my phone from me and wouldn't give it back so I couldn't call or text you. I'm really sorry."

"Why did you need to talk to her? What happened in gym?" Caroline asked, her voice softening.

"I'll tell you later. You ready to go?" Ella asked, changing the subject.

"Actually," Caroline said, pausing. "I have somewhere I have to go. You go back to the hotel and I'll see you a bit later."

"Where do you have to go?" Ella asked, more curious than ever.

"I have to see a friend," Caroline replied vaguely.

"Which friend?" Ella asked, grinning wildly.

"What is this, an interrogation?" Caroline asked defensively.

"Fine, go," Ella said reluctantly, wishing she'd got a few more answers.

"I'll see you later," Caroline said with a smile.

"Should I wait up?" Ella asked.

"I won't be that late," Caroline replied with a giggle.

Ella headed in the direction of the bus stop and Caroline watched her disappear. When Ella was on the bus and on her way back to the hotel, Caroline pulled her phone out of her pocket and scrolled through her contact list until she found Will's phone number.

Caroline waited patiently as the phone rang loudly. It was after five or six rings that Will picked up.

"Hello?" Will answered.

"Hi, Will. It's Caroline." It came out as more of a question than anything else.

"Hi, love," Will replied.

"Your friend told me you weren't feeling well. Are you okay?" Caroline asked, sounding more concerned than she'd anticipated.

"Oh yeah, I'm okay. I just have a rough cough and a migraine. It's just a cold," Will said casually.

"That's good to hear. I was a little worried."

"You were?"

"Yeah, a little."

"Oh," Will replied.

"I was sort of hoping I'd see you at school today." Caroline began to walk down the pathway that lead to the bus stop at the top of the street.

"Sorry about that. I really wanted to talk to you but I didn't want to make you sick."

"You don't have to worry about that. I don't catch colds very easily. It would take a lot more than a cough and a few dirty Kleenex to get this girl sick," Caroline said with a laugh. Will laughed with her.

"Well I'll make it up to you, I promise." Will's voice was soft and kind.

"I know you're sick, but I could come see you," Caroline suggested.

"Tonight?" Will asked.

"If that's okay," Caroline added, suddenly feeling stupid for even thinking up the idea.

"I'd like that."

"Really?"

"Of course." Will paused slightly then continued to speak. "I'll text you my address and you can come over as soon as you can."

"Okay." Caroline felt guilty for even agreeing to see Will. She thought about how betrayed Jack would feel if he found out, but then, the fact that Jack and Caroline wasn't even a real thing crossed her mind. They'd never kissed or even been on an official date, so what was she so afraid of?

"I'll be right over," Caroline said.

"Great. See you soon, love." Will hung up before Caroline could reply. Her phone buzzed barely thirty seconds after she'd pressed _end. _It was a message from Will containing his home address.

Caroline walked up the front steps to a small two-story house. On either side of the front pathway there were little bushes covered in small, white flowers. There was a framed piece of stain glass hanging in the window that looked like it belonged in the window of a church. The stainless steel mailbox next to the front door was bright in the sunshine; it was almost blinding as the light reflected off its sleek surface.

Caroline knocked on the door and waited for Will to answer it.

Caroline knocked on the door and waited for Will to answer it.

The door swung open but Caroline was surprised to see a young boy standing in front of her. She looked at him, wondering if she'd come to the right house.

"Hi," Caroline said. "I'm looking for Will?" Caroline asked.

"Yeah," the boy answered. "I'll go get him."

"Thanks," Caroline said, unsure of what to do next. She waited patiently outside on the front step when she heard a voice shout from inside.

"I told you I was expecting someone and not to answer the door." It was Will.

"Sorry about that," Will said as he opened the door and ushered Caroline inside. He placed his hand on the small of Caroline's back before helping her with her jacket which he then hung on the rack behind the door.

"It's okay," Caroline said. Will coughed harshly into his elbow.

"Sorry. It's not getting much better." Will smiled at Caroline and she smiled back.

"Do you need a glass of water? Or some tea? Maybe a ginger ale would make you feel better," Caroline suggested.

"I'm supposed to offer you a drink, not the other way round," Will said, leading Caroline up the stairs and into his room. He closed the door behind them and Caroline glanced around the room. Will had shelves of trophies and photos. He had a desk with piles of books; academic and pleasure. The walls were light blue and the comforter was navy blue-and-white plaid. There were cushions sprawled across the mattress and tucked away behind the closet door, Caroline could just make out a cardboard box of old stuffed animals and board games.

"I'm sorry, Caroline," Will finally said. He was sitting on the edge of his bed. Caroline was standing in front of him with her arms folded across her chest loosely. She dropped her hands so that they were at her sides.

"You have nothing to apologize for," Caroline said sincerely.

"I should never have asked you to kiss me. Even after you said you couldn't, I tried to push to see as far as I could go. It was unfair and I shouldn't have pressured you." Will shook his head.

"I shouldn't have just run away." Caroline just looked at Will. "I have a confession to make."

"What is it?" Will asked.

"I don't have a boyfriend."

"Oh," Will said, clearly caught off guard.

"I said that because there is this guy that I've been hanging out with. I thought I liked him, but then I met you," Caroline said.

"So why didn't you want to kiss me then?" Will asked, extremely confused.

"I didn't want to be leading him on and kissing you at the same time. I would have said the same thing to him if the situation was reversed."

"So where is this bloke now?" Will asked. Will sounded angry. Not with Caroline; she hadn't done anything wrong, but he was mad at the fact that some guy was getting in the way: someone he didn't even know.

"He's around," Caroline said casually.

"So are you still seeing him?" Will asked, trying to find the bottom of the dark pit he'd jumped in to.

"I haven't spoken to him since Saturday night. I told him what happened and he wasn't mad. He said I was allowed to think about kissing you."

"That's not for him to decide," Will said harshly, despising the boy who was unintentionally taking control of Caroline.

"No, it's not. But I still don't know what to do. I've apologized to both of you and I still don't have an answer."

"Well no one can make the decision but you. I don't know who this bloke is, but he must be pretty damn special if you're having trouble picking between him and me," Will said jokingly.

"Oh trust me, this is no walk in the park," Caroline said honestly.

"Well you let me know what you want," Will said after a moment of silence between the two.

"I wish this wasn't so hard," Caroline said, more to herself than to Will. Caroline walked closer to the bed and took a seat next to Will. Will just looked at her, no words ever coming out of his mouth.

"Where did you meet him?" Will asked after a long period of silence.

"Who?" Caroline asked, forgetting the previous topic of conversation.

"This chap you're involved with," Will replied.

"I met him the first night we were here. We were in a pub for dinner and he and his brother were at the bar."

"How old is he?" Will asked.

"Twenty," Caroline replied.

"Wow. And he's going after a seventeen-year-old?"

"Hey," Caroline said, offended, nudging Will in the arm with her elbow.

"Come one, you know you're worth it. I'm just playing around," Will said with a smile.

"He's in university," Caroline said.

"When do you see him?" Will asked.

"We went to the beach on Saturday. Ella and Finn, his brother, went to Finn's band's gig and Jack and I had dinner at his flat. We just watched a movie and hung out."

"Has he kissed you?" Will asked, not sure if he actually wanted to hear the answer.

"He's tried to."

"You stopped him?"

"Well at first, I liked his brother, but Finn never liked me so I gave up on him and realized I really liked Jack. He's a quite a bit older than me so I told myself I shouldn't move so fast and I had to get to know him before I could let anything else happen."

"Did you tell him that?"

"Not exactly. I told him I wasn't feeling well so he drove me back to the hotel."

"Why didn't you tell him the truth?"

"Because I was afraid he'd be mad at me," Caroline confessed.

"Trust me," Will said. "If he's a decent bloke, he'll understand."

"He is decent."

"Am I decent?" Will asked.

"You're better than decent, Will." Caroline smiled. "Yes," Caroline said.

"Yes, what?" Will asked.

"Yes, you can kiss me," Caroline answered. Will hesitated, pausing to make sure she wasn't joking and when Caroline gave a slight nod, Will leaned in close to her and pressed his lips against hers. Will cupped his hands around Caroline's cheeks and she placed her smaller, dainty hands over his. They leaned back all the way until they were lying together on Will's bed. They lay silently as the cool breeze from the outside world rolled in through Will's open window.


	15. Chapter 15

**AN: This is our longest chapter yet and it's pretty intense. ****_Hopefully_**** those of you who are fans of Finn and Ella will enjoy it... but we don't want to spoil it! Go and read it to see for yourself what it's like. :D Oh and... school is almost done for us and then we have our exams. The story is almost done (halfway to two thirds) but we don't know how often we will be able to update during the summer. Our schedules are pretty busy and whenever one of us is free the other is on vacation... But we will try our best to update as much as possible before the summer and during the summer. :D Here's chapter 15!**

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Thursday came quickly. Ella and Caroline had been working hard in class; trying desperately to keep their minds off everything that had gone on in the past few days. For the most part, it was working.

"What did you get for six?" Ella asked Caroline as she slurped back a spoonful of homemade chicken noodle soup. It was the cafeteria special.

Caroline flipped through the pages in her notebook, finally landing on the one she was looking for. "Twenty-two over nine," she replied, sipping her chocolate milk.

"Damn it!" Ella nearly shouted. "I don't know what I'm doing wrong." Ella erased practically the entire equation.

"Wait," Caroline said, lifting Ella's eraser from the wrinkled page. "Let me see it first."

"Here," Ella said, handing her notebook over. She sighed heavily before tearing a piece of bread from the bun on her plate and popping it in her mouth.

"Oh," Caroline said as she examined Ella's work. "You just switched the four with the eight. Here," Caroline said, pointing to the long equation on the page, showing Ella where she went wrong.

"Oh," Ella said finally. She took the notebook from Caroline and re-wrote the equation. "Yes!" Ella exclaimed. "I got it!"

"Good job, Ella," Caroline said kindly. "Now try another one." Caroline pointed to the next question in the textbook.

"Maybe another time," Ella said as she closed the book. Caroline shook her head at Ella while she let out a giggle.

Ella's phone buzzed, startling Caroline. "Who is it?" Caroline asked curiously.

"It's Tasha. She said there's a big 'football' game tonight and that everyone's going to be there. She wants to know if we want to go." Ella's gaze lifted from her phone screen and landing on Caroline.

"What, me too?" Caroline asked, shocked at Tasha's invitation.

"Yes, you too. Do you want to go?" Ella asked.

"Sure. Might be fun. Do you?" Caroline asked, having to make sure Ella wasn't going to sulk the entire night if it turned out she actually had no interest in "watching sweaty boys chase a muddy ball while screaming girls cheer them on." That's how Ella liked to explain soccer.

"Not really. But don't let that stop you from going and having a good time," Ella replied.

"Oh, I wasn't going to." Caroline smiled at Ella who giggled softly. "I'm not going with Tasha, though. I'll ask Ryan if he's going."

"Yeah, I think he'll be there. He's practically friends with the entire team," Ella joked.

"More like the entire student body," Caroline added.

"What should I say to her?" Ella asked, looking over Tasha's message again.

"Tell her you're not up for it. Or you could say you don't like soccer." Ella frowned at Caroline's suggestions.

"You can be more creative than that, can't you?" Ella said with a sly grin across her face.

"Fine," Caroline answered, accepting Ella's challenge. "Tell Tasha that..." Caroline trailed off.

"Oh, you're useless," Ella said. "I'll just make up my own excuse." Ella whipped out her phone again and began to type away.

"What are you telling her?" Caroline asked, trying to sneak a peek at Ella's phone screen but she was unsuccessful.

"None of your business," Ella said, her nose high in the air as if to mock a snobby, rich person.

"Well, the bell is going to ring soon," Caroline said as she began to close her books and pack up her backpack. Ella stared up at her friend. "What's that look for?" Caroline asked Ella who was making a sad puppy-dog face at her.

"You're leaving me," Ella said, pretending to whine like a little kid.

"You're so immature," Caroline said as she rolled her eyes. Caroline waved goodbye to a sad and lonely Ella and left her sitting by herself in the cafeteria.

Ella met Caroline at their usual meeting spot at the end of the day. Caroline had asked Ryan about the game later on and he said he was going and that one of his friends on the team would drive them. The game started at six. Because Ryan's friend was on the team, he had to be there an hour early which meant he would have picked Caroline and Ryan up from the hotel around four-thirty. They decided it would have just been a waste of time and bus tickets to go back to the hotel for an hour so Ryan and Caroline just went to get something to eat.

Caroline said goodbye to Ella whose plans for the night included watching _Just Go With It_ in her pyjamas with a big bag of Cheetos.

"Have fun tonight," Ella said to Caroline at the front doors of the school. "But not too much fun, if you know what I mean."

"Don't worry," Caroline said reassuringly. "I won't take my eye off the ball." Ella gave Caroline a look before she added, "Oh, you know what I mean."

"Yes, I do," Ella said laughing.

"You better not have too much fun without me. You know how strong my love for Cheetos and Adam Sandler is."

"I'll have enough fun for the both of us," Ella replied with a wink. "See you later," she added. Caroline smiled as she waved to Ella. She was soon out of sight, but not out of mind. Caroline was worried that Ella was spending too much time on her own and not enjoying the last few days they had to explore London. But for tonight, Ella would be just fine without Caroline.

The bleachers at the field were full of rowdy spectators by five-forty-five. There was a hotdog stand, a popcorn machine and you could even buy baseball caps with the school's logo on the front.

Ryan and Caroline had been sitting on the bleachers for forty-five minutes already while the soccer team practiced taking shots on net, running up the field with the ball and other drills Ryan and Caroline couldn't get their heads around. There was an announcer whose voice echoed over the loud-speaker when he said, "Ladies and gentlemen, please find your seats as the game will begin momentarily."

Caroline fidgeted in her seat and zipped the collar of her coat up to keep out the chill. Little droplets of rain began to fall as soon as the ball was kicked.

The players, on both teams, chased after it down the field. A boy from the opposing team booted the ball so hard back to the goalie and the goalie's foot set loose all of its power and everyone's eyes followed the flying ball.

By half-time, the score was two-nothing for Charlie's team. Caroline had been cheering the entire game while Ryan ate his popcorn and tried to go un-noticed.

The second half went by a lot faster since each team was more desperate to keep the ball away from their net than to actually score a goal. Since it ended up being a tie and it was the semi-finals, the game went into overtime and when no goals were scored, there was a shoot-out.

The final shot was taken by Charlie. The ball was lined up in front of the goal. Nothing stood between Charlie and the goalie but anger. Charlie's foot pummelled the ball as it went whirling through the air. The goalie dove to the right in attempts to prevent it from hitting the net but the ball slipped right through his fingers and Charlie had scored the winning goal.

Caroline jumped right out of her seat and howled with pride. Ryan even cheered a little. Charlie ran over to his teammates who rushed towards him and he jumped up in the air, his legs and arms flailing around, before he landed in a huddle with his teammates.

There was a large gathering after the game in the park on the other side of the field. The proud parents and siblings had left as soon as the game had finished and the wild teenagers hadn't hesitated to pull out the alcohol and cigarettes. If they hadn't been outside, they might have suffocated in the strong smell of smoke and booze.

Caroline wandered around with Ryan until he found Charlie and went off with him. She looked around for someone to talk to and when she spotted the team from earlier, she knew something was wrong. They stood in a perfect V formation, their feet planted to the ground, as they stood in a stance of strength.

The entire group stepped closer to Charlie who was hooting and hollering with Luke, John, Ryan and the rest of the team. Everyone else was friends and girlfriends of the players. They surrounded them with their arms folded across their chests, their faces mean and dark as night. All Caroline could see was their shadows and they closed in around Charlie and his friends.

"That was some cheap-ass ref, huh? Giving you all the points, leaving us with nothing. Those goals were shit." As one boy spoke, the others nodded along in agreement. The boy who spoke appeared as though he was the leader, as if whatever he did, the others would follow.

"Sorry, mate?" Charlie spun around to find the opposing boy glaring at him. He was irritated; annoyed at how rudely his conversation with his friends had been interrupted.

"I'm saying you won because the only thing that came out of that ref's mouth was bullshit."

"Oy! Check out this guy's shirt, Mike," said one of the guys near the back of the clan to the guy who was standing at the front; the leader.

"How did you get here? Did someone leave your cage open?" Charlie asked.

"Shut up! You'll never be the man your mother is!" Mike shouted back.

"I'm busy now; can I ignore you another time?" Charlie said casually.

"Ignore this!" As Mike spoke, his fist came hurling through the air and went straight into Charlie's face. Blood dripped from Charlie's lip onto the concrete as it pooled around his feet in small droplets. Charlie looked back up at Mike who was smirking back at his friends as if he'd just thrown the greatest punch in the world. Charlie twisted his arm behind him and then set it loose on Mike. His arms flailed around wildly as he attacked Mike.

Soon every boy at the jam had found someone to beat up. It was like World War III: revenge of the teenagers. Caroline started yelling at Ryan to get out of the group of boys but she knew she couldn't be heard over the low rumble of yells passing between the boys. She lost sight of Ryan and started backing away from the crowd of people that had assembled to see the fight and to take videos.

"Hello?" Ella answered Caroline's cell phone call on the second ring.

"Ell! There is this huge fight here between our school and the other soccer team! I'm really scared because Ryan and this huge guy started fighting and I don't know where Ryan is or if he's hurt."

"What? There's a fight?"

"Yes! Can you come down, please? I'm scared and worried about Ryan!"

"I swear to God, Caroline! I said I didn't want to go! You don't have to make up an excuse to try to get me to come!"

"Ella, I'm not lying! There is a real fight going on! I wouldn't lie about something like this, you know that." The tone of Caroline's voice was proof enough for Ella.

"Fine," she said after a moment's pause. "I'll be there in like ten minutes."

"Thank you, Ella." Caroline hung up and went to sit on the now empty bleachers. The fight was still going strong but from up there she had a good vantage point and she passed the time waiting for Ella by looking for Ryan in the cluster of people.

"Caroline! I'm here. What the hell is going on?" Ella found Caroline on the bleachers fifteen minutes later. Caroline eyes were glued on the fight and her fists were clenched shut with anxiety.

"Ella, thank God! I don't know what to do. I can't see Ryan anywhere!"

"He's fine, I'm sure of it. But why are they all fighting? What happened? Who won the game?" Ella sat down beside Caroline, shivering slightly. The sun was down and she hadn't realized how chilly it would be.

"I don't know! After the game both teams started smack-talking each other and then the fight started. And we won. So maybe the other team was jealous?"

"Guys are such retards. Honestly. Can we go back now?" Ella missed the comfort of the warm hotel room, room service and the nice TV.

"We can't leave Ryan here. I need to find him; make sure he's okay."

"Ugh fine! Let's go find him then." Ella stood up and started walking toward the field where the fight was taking place.

"Ella! What are you going to do? Walk into the middle of them all?!" Caroline called out as she ran after Ella.

Ella didn't answer. Instead she gathered all of her courage and started to push her way through the bystanders. She ignored the groans and comments and didn't stop pushing until she reached the brawlers. "Ryan!" she yelled, as loud as she could. The boys all stopped simultaneously and looked up at here from their awkward positions on the ground. Ryan untangled himself from two boys' arms and ran over to Ella. He pushed her back through the crowd and the boys resumed their battle; the moment of rest giving them revitalized energy.

"Ella. I thought you weren't coming! What were you doing! Someone could've hit you!"

"Oh shut up. I came for Caroline; she was scared out of her mind worrying about you! And you don't get to be worried about _my_ safety. Okay?" Caroline ran over to them and hugged Ryan tightly.

"What the hell, Ryan. I was so scared. I thought you were hurt, or worse."

"I'm fine, Car," he said, pulling out of her hug. The girls got a better look at him now; his nose was bleeding badly and there were deep scratches all over his face.

"Ryan! You're not fine; look at you! Let's go back to the hotel. We need to clean you up!" Caroline started back to the bus stop, leading the three away from the commotion still going on behind them.

"Thanks, Ella. You saved me. I don't know how much more I could've handled in there. It was insane. Fists were flying and-"

"You're welcome. And I did it for Caroline."

"Oh come on, admit it. You care about me as a friend," Ryan said, smiling now.

"In your dreams, Ryan."

The two caught up to Caroline when they reached the bus stop. Their journey felt long in the dark of the night and they were all exhausted by the time they reached the hotel.

"So, how are we supposed to do this?" Ella asked.

"Do what?" Caroline asked in reply.

"Clean him up. He isn't allowed in our room and we aren't allowed in his. Remember?"

"You guys don't have to clean me up; I'm not a little kid. I'll be fine," Ryan said defensively.

"Fine. But tomorrow, those cuts better be cleaned up properly or I'll do it in front of _all_ your friends," Caroline threatened.

"Yes mother. Good night guys. And thanks. See you tomorrow!" Ryan ran to the stairs and disappeared behind the closed door. The girls walked slowly to the elevator. They were overwhelmed with exhaustion and it showed by the time they reached their room. They fell asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillows, both of them dreaming of British boys.

Four loud knocks echoed in the hotel room, waking the four roommates up. Caroline opened the door, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. Mrs. Anchory's make-up free, pre-coffee face was behind it.

"Good morning! It's now seven am. But I am here to inform you that we will not be leaving England any time soon. Because of certain events that happened last night after the school's soccer game, we are having to stay here for another while longer, because of legal issues. I won't go into detail but I will say this; not only am I extremely disappointed in the students who were fighting I am also disappointed in the ones who stood by and watched; especially those who filmed it happening." Mrs. Anchory looked over Caroline's shoulder at Lindsay and Morgan.

"So we get to stay here even longer?!" Caroline asked excitedly. She was awake now.

"Yes, that's what I said isn't it? We're going to be having dinner as a class tonight so be in the lobby by six thirty. Other than that, you're free to do what you please. Enjoy your Saturday." Mrs. Anchory turned and started down the hall to knock on the next room's door. Caroline closed the door and ran into the bathroom, ready to start her day.

"Caroline what are you doing?" Ella asked when she heard the shower starting.

"Showering. This is amazing news. We aren't going home yet!"

"I heard. But that doesn't mean we need to be up at seven in the morning. Come on, I need to go back to sleep and so do you."

Caroline finally remembered how tired she was and turned the tap off. She walked back into the bedroom and got back into bed. She let her mind wander over thoughts of Will, Jack and the rest of England that was yet to be explored.

"Ella, you need to stop being so down! So it didn't work out with you and Finn. Did you actually expect it to happen?" Caroline was trying to get Ella out of bed so they could go and enjoy the sunny Saturday in the big city, while they had the chance. They had all fallen back asleep after Mrs. Anchory's news but Caroline woke Ella up at ten, claiming their day shouldn't be wasted. Lindsay and Morgan were still sound asleep, probably hung over from some party they had gone to the night before.

"Yes, Caroline, I did. I felt something for Finn that I have never, _ever_ felt for anyone else before." Ella sat up and leaned against the backboard but didn't get out of the bed.

"Well there's no use lying around all day pitying yourself. We lucked out when we got the chance to stay here for longer and I don't want to watch you spend all this extra time here being sad."

"You're right. I'll just have to get Finn to forgive me! Thanks, Caroline. I'm going to go over there now." Ella got out of bed with more gusto than Caroline had ever seen and rushed to shower and get changed. Caroline sighed, upset that Ella didn't get that she wanted to hang out with her today. But she couldn't help herself from smiling; she had never seen Ella as happy as she was with Finn.

Dressed in light wash jean capris, a loose purple top and her cream coloured converse, Ella made her up to Finn and Jack's apartment door. Her hand shook as she reached out to knock on the door. She didn't know what she was going to say, she had already apologized, but she knew she needed to see Finn.

Just before her knuckles touched the hard wood of the door she heard a high-pitched laugh from behind the closed door. She pulled her hand away and leaned her ear against the door, trying to hear what was going on inside. She heard the high-pitched sound again and this time it was followed by a deep, manly laugh. Was Finn in there with a girl? Had he already moved on? Ella kept her ear against the door, trying to make out what the two voices were saying.

"Ella?" She whipped around at the sound of her name. She saw Finn, his hands filled with grocery bags. She sighed with relief; Finn wasn't in the apartment with a girl. So did that mean Jack was? She would have to tell Caroline when she got back.

"What do you want?" he asked, pulling her away from her thoughts and back to their _conversation_.

"I needed to see you. I thought it would be okay just to drop in, you know, without calling ahead." She fiddled with her hands, unsure where to put them. She waited expectantly for Finn to invite her into the apartment but he just stood there, the heavy bags weighing him down. Ella could see beer bottles and chip bags mixed in with everyday groceries.

"You lost that right when you betrayed me," Finn snapped.

"Finn I know what I did was unforgivable but I wasn't thinking! I was drunk! And I thought you hated me!"

Finn dropped the bags onto the ground, ignoring the loud, unpleasant sound. "Are you kidding me? First of all, you should've been straight with me from the beginning! You should have told me first thing in the car! And secondly, being drunk is not an excuse." He put his hands on his head, desperately pulling at his short hair as if it would change everything that Ella had done.

"You're right. But I didn't actually cheat on you, Finn. We hadn't actually defined the relationship."

"So is that why you're here? To rub the fact that we weren't actually dating in my face? I wanted to ask Saturday after the show but I never got the chance."

Ella was silent. Finn was going to ask her to be his girlfriend? Why was she so stupid? She hated herself and what she had done to him. "You're welcome," she mumbled.

"What? What did you do for me?"

"If you had asked me to be your girlfriend I would've said yes, in a heartbeat, and then you would've had to deal with me more officially. I saved you from being stuck with a dirt-bag bitch like me, Finn. So you're welcome." Ella barely finished her sentence through her sobs.

"Why do you do this to yourself?!" Finn's voice was louder now and made Ella jump a little. "You are _not_ a dirt-bag or a bitch okay? And even if you were, I'd still love you."

"I am Finn and you deserve so much better than me. Go, find the girl you're meant to be with, the one who's worthy of you." She walked past him and started down the old creaky stairs.

"What if-" Finn started. Ella turned back to look at him, stopping halfway down the first flight of stairs. "What if you're the girl I'm meant to be with?" He looked up at her. Ella knew she had caused the pain in his eyes.

"Then I'd be the luckiest girl in the world. Goodbye, Finn. I probably won't see you around." She started back down the stairs and picked up her pace so she was running. She knew if she didn't get out of there fast enough she would turn back and say something stupid like- "I love you!" Finn called down when Ella reached the bottom. She looked up through the crack in between the staircases and saw Finn's head leaning over, looking down at her. He gave her a small smile and said, "I love you," again. She nodded, barely able to speak. "I love you too." They stood there, staring at each other in between the staircases, until Ella heard Jack come out of the apartment and talk to Finn. She could just make out what he was saying, "They're getting bored, Finn. Come on mate."

Ella felt sick. Were there really girls in their apartment? Finn had just said he loved Ella and it wasn't the first time. But it was the first time she had acknowledged her real feelings and said it back.

Ella was about to leave when Finn's face came back into view. "Ella, do you want to come back up here and maybe hang out with us?" he asked. Without a response, Ella started back up the stairs. She bounded up the flights two steps at a time and was there, next to Finn in less than a minute.

"Hi," he said, fidgeting nervously. It was awkward, like a first date where neither of them knew what to say to break the ice.

"Hi. Who's in there?" Ella asked, pointing to the apartment.

"Oh our cousins are visiting. They're your age and we could use your help keeping their company." Ella's face fell and Finn caught her slight disappointment. He leaned closer to her, his hands on her forearms. "That's what we're telling them. But we both know I just want to be with you as much as possible." He kissed her check modestly, then turned and opened the door. He guided her in with his hand and Ella took a deep breath before stepping inside.

"I love that movie!" Ella said. Finn and Jack's cousins were some of the friendliest and most easy-going people she'd ever met. It helped that they were all in grade eleven or twelve.

"Me too; Adam Sandler was hilarious in it!" Rose said, before taking a sip of her mixed vodka and coke. Rose and Hannah were sisters, only a year apart, Timothy was an only child but Gabby, his step-sister, had tagged along too.

"Ella, do you want another drink?" Finn asked quietly, the conversation outside of him and Ella continued without them. She nodded and when he stood up, she followed him into the kitchen.

"Sorry about this. I thought they'd be gone already." He filled a glass halfway with vodka, filling the rest of it with Coke. He did the same to another glass, this one with vodka three quarters of the way.

"Why are you sorry? I love them, they're so nice!" Ella and Finn lingered in the kitchen, taking the first few sips of their drinks. Ella was a bit hesitant when Rose had first offered her the alcoholic beverage but by the second glass she had gotten used to it.

"I'm sorry because I'd rather spend time with you; just you." Ella nodded slowly, showing her realization.

"Yeah that would be more fun." She liked the cousins but it was getting a bit loud and a bit crowded.

"Well, we can always excuse ourselves and not return anytime soon." He grinned mischievously at her. Ella immediately walked back into the living room, and without waiting for silence declared "Finn and I are just going to go check something on the computer. I want to know what time our flight's leaving back to Canada," Ella lied. The company nodded, oblivious to their alterative motives. Jack raised an eyebrow at Finn who had arrived at Ella's side but Finn just shook his head, brushing off his brother's suspicions.

He and Ella walked down the hall and he started opening the door to the office. Ella put her hand on the door, closing the inch he had managed to open. "Show me your room."

Finn smiled again, a glint of humour in his eyes. "This way, ma lady." They walked down to the end of the hall and entered Finn's bedroom. Ella had imagined where Finn slept briefly one night when she was lonely. It was much different than she had imagined. Instead of modern furniture and décor, white walls and a light floor, Finn's room was more classic and cozy. The pale yellow from the walls continued onto his red plaid bedspread. The dark wood floor matched the flooring in the hall and living room but instead of feeling cold, it made the room more welcoming and warmer. She decided that she liked his room this way much more than the way she had imagined.

"What do you think?" Finn stood at the door, his hands shoved into his jean pockets.

"I love it," she said honestly.

"Good. I was nervous about showing it to you; most people laugh and say it's too boring, or dull, or simple. Now that I know you like it, we can spend _much_ more time here." He strutted over to Ella, who was standing next to the bed. He wrapped his arms around her waist and she mirrored his action, slipping her hands into his back pockets.

Ella leaned her head against his muscular chest and he started planting gentle kisses on the top of her head.

"Finn?" she asked quietly. She could hear his heart beating under his chest and at the sound of his name it seemed to speed up in anticipation to hear what Ella had to say.

"Yes?"

"It was true wasn't it?" she paused, choking on her words. "What you said in the stairwell?"

"I said a lot of things out there. A lot of them I regret. But if you're talking about what I think you're talking about, then yes, I love you."

Ella nodded against his chest, letting his answer settle in her brain. She would cherish his words forever.

"What about you?" he asked.

"I-" Ella stammered. She found her train of thought and started again, "Yes. I think so. I mean, I've never been in love before but what I feel for you, I think it's love."

Finn tilted Ella's face with his hand so they were looking into each other's eyes. "I've never been in love before either. But I'm glad that I found you because I _know_ that this is love." He started closing in slowly for a kiss and Ella shot up, removing the space between once and for all.

Once they started, they couldn't stop. Neither of them pulled away for fear of not finding their way back to the other's precious lips. They untangled their arms and Finn leaned Ella back onto his soft bed, slowly, guiding her head with his hand. She landed softly, then pulled him down, rolling him over so she was on top of him.

Ella's right hand stayed planted firmly on Finn's chest, playing with his hair with the other. Finn's hands were back on Ella's waist and she enjoyed the familiar feeling they gave her in the _unfamiliar_ situation. They stayed in their comfortable position but Finn's hands soon started wandering. One hand trailed up Ella's back, stopping deliberately under her bra strap, underneath her thin shirt. His other hand stopped on Ella's back pocket and Ella admitted to herself that she liked the feeling of it there.

Ella knew that Finn was toying with her, trying to start something more. She knew that with Finn, she was okay with going a little further. Her right hand left his chest and went down to his belt. She undid it expertly, without even having to look, then lifted her waist and slid it out through the belt-loops around the waist of his jeans. He pulled away from their kiss but kept his lips close to hers. "What are you doing, you cheeky little thing?"

"I was just thinking, those jeans must be awfully uncomfortable, Finn." Ella flashed her most sincere smile and Finn laughed.

"You're right. They're irritating me. I feel so, _restricted_."

Ella squealed girlishly with delight and clapped her hand over her mouth, surprised the noise had escaped the confinements of her lips. She jumped off of Finn and he ripped his jeans off quickly. The two of them were suddenly anxious to continue where they had left off, the mere seconds of being apart bothering them. Ella turned her body so her head was on one of the fluffy pillows and Finn hovered over top of her.

She closed her eyes and smiled, waiting for his kiss. It never came. She opened her eyes, squinting up at him slightly.

"I was just thinking," Finn said, recognizing her quizzical expression, "that your shirt looks a bit too tight."

"Are you sure?" she asked, playing along.

"Undoubtedly sure, and I have a solution, if you'll just hear me out."

She smiled up at him, "Go for it."

"If you want to be free of your too-tight-t-shirt, then you have to trust me. I must be the only one to carry out the procedure or else it just might not work properly."

Ella smiled shyly in response. Finn took the bottom of Ella's shirt in his hands and started lifting it up her torso slowly. He stared down at her stomach intently, taking in every inch of skin as it was slowly uncovered. Ella watched Finn's face as he watched her bare stomach appear.

Finn stopped when he got to the bottom of Ella's light purple bra. "What's wrong?" she asked. She was unsure of Finn's reaction; did he not like what he saw?

"Ella, are you sure you want to do this?" he questioned. His voice was serious now, the humour no longer evident in his demand.

"Why wouldn't I be? We love each other, right?"

"Of course. It's just, I'm older and I don't want you to feel pressured or like I'm taking advantage of you. Because if you don't want to do this then I respect that one hundred percent."

Ella's mind floated back to the first night with Finn. Back then was different. She had just met him and she didn't like him, or _love_ him, the way she did now.

"Finn, you know me well enough by now to know that if I didn't want to have sex with you, I'd let you know." Finn's smile returned instantly and his back straightened a bit with relief.

"So this is us about to have sex?" Ella wasn't sure if it was sarcasm or a genuine question.

"Oh it _so _is." She ended the conversation by pulling Finn's head down, their lips colliding harshly. She loved Finn and Finn loved her. That's all that mattered.


	16. Chapter 16

**AN: Oh man... we haven't uploaded for such a long time! We are really sorry... this chapter will hopefully be worth the wait! It's the longest one yet! :D We broke 600 views! Thank you all so much! We really appreciate you guys all reading our story! Let us know what you think... ENJOY!**

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Caroline stepped through the automatic doors at the hospital. The boys who'd been badly injured had been rushed to the nearest facility last night shortly after the police had arrived. When she got back to the hotel last night, Caroline had called Will because she hadn't spoken to him since the game. He was one of boys who'd been taken to the hospital.

Caroline squeezed some hand sanitizer into her palm and rubbed her hands as she walked towards the front desk.

"Hi there, sweetie," the lady sitting on the chair behind the counter asked Caroline when she heard her approach. The lady looked up at Caroline and forced a smile. Caroline realized that it was nothing personal, working in a hospital, with the sick patients and devastated family and friends, could really get to a person.

"Hi, I'm looking for William Baker."

"Are you his sister?" The woman was leaning over her keyboard, looking at the small rectangular screen on the phone beside her empty coffee mug. Caroline peeked over the desk and looked down at the page in front of the woman. "That's him," she said, pointing at Will's name on the list in front of the woman.

"Are you a relative?" The woman repeated her question, slight irritation creeping into her voice.

"Well, um..." Caroline hesitated, unsure of what to say. She wasn't a relative and didn't think "it's complicated" was a suitable response. The woman stared up at Caroline in anticipation. Of course she had work to do, she didn't have time to wait for a teenage girl to figure out her relationship status with one of the patients.

"I'm his girlfriend," Caroline finally said. The woman sighed a little and pulled her glasses off the arch of her nose.

"I'll be back in a minute. What's your name?" The woman rose from her chair and stared at Caroline.

"Caroline Lawrence," she responded quickly, suddenly desperate to see Will's face instead of the receptionist's.

The woman disappeared down the hall. Caroline fiddled with the zipper on her shoulder bag. She twisted the buttons on her dark red shirt.

The woman wasn't gone very long before she was on her way back to her desk. "He's in room 314. The elevator is that way." The woman pointed to the right and smiled at Caroline.

Caroline waited for the elevator as the device above the elevator doors slowly counted down the floor levels. When it reached the first level, the doors slid open and Caroline moved aside as a janitor wheeled out a cleaning cart. Caroline walked in, pressing the third level button and held the door for a woman who was pushing an old man in a wheelchair.

The elevator pinged before the doors opened and Caroline slipped out, giving the old man and the woman a kind smile and turning to walk down the hall.

Caroline searched for room 314 and when she found it, she paused, took and deep breath and knocked. Will called out, "Come in."

She twisted the knob on the door and pushed it open. Caroline walked slowly towards the bed where she expected Will to be lying. When she rounded the curtain, she found him in the washroom, leaning over the sink, his arm tucked into a sling.

"Oh my god," Caroline gasped as she rushed towards Will. "Oh my god," she repeated.

"What?" Will asked, wiping the toothpaste off his toothbrush and put it in the holder on the edge of the sink. "I'm fine." Will smiled at Caroline.

"What happened?"

"You were there last night, right?" Will said, as if that was the only explanation required.

"Yeah, but-" Caroline stopped mid-sentence, realizing she didn't know how to continue.

"I didn't think you'd come," Will said as he ushered Caroline to the seat by the window. Will sat on the edge of the bed and looked at Caroline with wide eyes.

"Why wouldn't I?" Caroline asked as she grinned wildly. Will just shrugged. "Is your arm okay?" Caroline asked after a moment of silence had passed between the two.

"Oh, this guy had me pinned to the ground and then he-"

"I get the point," Caroline said, not needing Will to explain any further. She felt her stomach clench at the thought of Will being twisted and turned in ways his body wasn't meant to. As she tried to undo the knots, Will's voice was soft and smooth like water running over rocks as he said, "I'm glad you came to see me." Caroline looked up to meet his gaze. Suddenly she was staring into his big, green eyes.

"Are you hungry?" Caroline asked, snapping out of her haze. She shifted uncomfortably in the leather chair as it squeaked beneath her. She patted her thighs and then looked up at Will like a young child, waiting to find out if she was allowed to go play on the swings.

"No," Will replied, half-disappointed with her response as if he was expecting Caroline to jump into his arms and kiss him until she couldn't anymore. As soon as Caroline spoke, Will knew that wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

"Well, I haven't eaten yet, so I'm going to run down to the bakery across the street. They're making fresh muffins and they smell really good." Caroline rose but didn't take her eyes off of Will.

"I'll have banana chocolate chip, then," Will said with a slight smile.

"Sure," Caroline said quickly. "And by the way," she continued, leaning down as she whispered I in his ear, so close he could feel her breath run down his neck and shivered, "I wouldn't want to be anywhere else." With that, Caroline took off down the hall, out the hospital and across the street with every intention of returning.

When Caroline came back, the stale hospital halls had been redecorated with the fresh smell of warm blueberries and banana muffins. The bag was warm in Caroline's hand as the heat seeped through the bottom. She could practically taste the blueberries.

Caroline re-entered Will's room. He was sitting in the chair by the window, head far back against the back of the chair, eyes shut. Caroline quietly walked over to him and tapped his shoulder. When he didn't react, she opened his shut hand and looped her fingers through his. Will's eyes remained shut but as Caroline stood beside him, fingers entwined, Will tightened his grasp.

After Will had woken up, he'd returned to his bed, vacating the seat for Caroline. Caroline had forgotten about the muffins after she'd put them down on the table next to the bed. They had cooled down by the time Caroline reached over and snatched them off the table.

"Do you still want this?" Caroline asked Will, waving the brown paper bag in front of Will, filling his nose with the contents' sweet smell.

"That's like asking me if I still want you," Will said with a grin. Caroline's cheeks reddened as she grinned back at him.

"I'll take that as a yes then," Caroline replied.

"Come here," Will said, his voice suddenly serious. Caroline walked towards Will. As she stood at the edge of the bed, he gently patted the empty space beside him. Caroline gracefully lay down beside him, their faces barely three inches apart. Will's hand slid down Caroline's side from her hip to her waist. He ran his fingers up and down her body, tracing circles across her thighs. Caroline smiled contently and gently touched Will's cheek with her hand.

A nurse appeared in the doorway with a tray of food: lunch. As she stepped in to drop it off, she saw Will and Caroline fast asleep in each other's embrace and turned around to walk away, the tray still in her hands.

Caroline rose from the comfort of the hospital bed and looked at Will. His eyes were shut as she watched his chest rise and fall, his warm breath gentle and faint against her hands.

Will's eyelids fluttered momentarily before they opened fully. He sat up and saw Caroline leaning over her bag on the chair. She was rearranging things when she stopped and looked over at him. "Leaving so soon?" Will asked, smiling at her.

"I just need to stretch my legs. Care to join me?" Caroline asked, returning the kind gesture.

"Love to," Will replied, swinging his legs across the bed before standing up. He walked towards Caroline who had quickly returned her attention to the contents of her bag. His hand slid across her waist and she quickly met his gaze. Caroline smiled at Will, secretly wishing he'd stop looking at her the way he did, making her melt beneath his fingertips. His hand was soft and warm against her waist.

"Did you enter a contest called 'Who can fit the most things in her purse' or what?" Will asked, a confused look on his suddenly plain face.

"Sorry?" Caroline asked, looking up at Will.

"I just don't understand why girls insist on stuffing their purses. How much of that stuff do you actually need?"

"If you knew what was good for you, you never would have asked me that question," Caroline replied, giving Will a _you better stop talking now_ look. Will raised his hands in the air as if to surrender.

"So what's Ella up to today?" Will finally asked, letting Caroline continue sorting through her bag.

"Did someone say Ella?" A voice arose from the room next to Will's. From behind the curtain, a boy appeared. Caroline didn't recognize him but Will did.

"I did. Now go away, Charlie," Will said harshly.

"Are you her friend?" Charlie asked, nodding in Caroline's direction.

"Yeah, who wants to know?" Caroline replied.

"I'm Charlie. Can you tell Ella I want to see her?" Charlie asked.

"How do you know her?" Caroline asked.

"Let's just say we've exchanged more than names," Charlie said, nudging Will's elbow as if what he'd said was in some way clever. Will waved him off and made a disgusted face, wishing Caroline wasn't hearing this.

Caroline's shoulders dropped. Why hadn't Ella told her about Charlie? Had Ella kissed Charlie before she knew what she wanted with Finn or had they kissed after? Why did Charlie have to be a secret? Was Ella ashamed of him? Was she scared? Was Charlie just another one of Ella's 'mistakes'?

Caroline took a deep breath before she spoke. "Well then, Charlie, I'll tell her you said hi."

"No, I want you to get her down here. I want to see her." Charlie looked at Caroline, his expression was as serious as his request. He wasn't playing, he really wanted to see Ella. Caroline's only question was why.

"If you want to see her so badly, call her yourself," Caroline answered.

"I don't have her number," Charlie said as he frowned a little.

"Well then, I guess that means she doesn't want to see you. If she did, she would have given you her phone number."

"Fine. If you want to be difficult, I'll get it myself."

"Now there's an idea," Caroline exclaimed condescendingly.

"Thanks for all your help," Charlie said sarcastically before disappearing behind the curtain. Will rolled his eyes and Caroline giggled a little.

"Anyways," Caroline said. "About You Know Who, I didn't ask her," Caroline said, wary of Charlie's presence and his sensitivity to Ella's name.

"Well maybe we can go out tonight. All of us."

"You still haven't told me why you're in here. I'm sure if you were sent to the hospital, a night out shouldn't be the first thing on your priority list."

"I have a mild concussion and a broken arm. I think I got hit with a beer bottle, too, but I don't remember."

"Well then, you need to rest, not party."

"Yes, Mum," Will replied sarcastically as he rolled his eyes.

"Watch it," Caroline warned.

"Or what?" Will asked, stepping towards her.

"Or... or I might just have to punish you." Caroline nodded in agreement with herself, almost as if she was patting herself on the back or giving herself a high five for her almost witty comeback.

"Oh, yeah?" Will smirked.

"Yeah," Caroline said back with a smirk almost as cheeky as Will's.

"How?" Will asked.

"Well, let's see." Caroline placed her thumb underneath her chin and gazed around the room as she pondered on methods of punishment.

"You can't think of anything, can you?" Will asked after Caroline had gone silent for a moment.

"Just give me a minute," Caroline said before pausing again. "Yeah, I've got nothing."

"Did you guys have a good sleep?" Jack was sitting at the breakfast bar in the kitchen, coffee cup in his hand, suspicious expression on his face. Finn and Ella walked in, holding hands and smiling like giddy school children.

"Yep! What about you? What time did the cousins leave?" Ella asked cheerfully, helping herself to a glass of juice.

"Around eleven thirty. You could have at least come out to say goodbye, Finn."

"Sorry mate, we were pretty busy." Finn raised his eyebrows mischievously at Ella, making her blush. Jack saw his gesture and rolled his eyes.

"Don't worry, we all knew what you two were up to. You could've tried to be quieter," Jack said, shivering with disgust.

Ella's cheeks burned. "Jack!"

"What? Don't get mad at me; it's your and lover boy's own fault."

Finn started laughing into his mug of coffee while Ella grimaced, extremely embarrassed by Jack's casualness on this awkward and private topic.

"Oh don't take it personally, Ella. Jack's just in a pissy mood because-" "Nothing! Shut up, Finn!" Jack yelled, interrupting his brother. The light feeling turned serious instantly and Jack quickly left the kitchen; Ella and Finn heard his bedroom door slamming seconds after.

"Why is he so upset? I mean, _I've_ had better mornings than that. And you know me."

"I was only teasing him; I have no idea what's got him so riled up. And I wish I knew you better, Ella." Finn's eyes were comforting and Ella suddenly felt more than willing to let him in and share her deepest secrets, fears and stories.

"That can be arranged," she said quietly, moving slightly along the counter, closer to Finn.

"I know! We can share secrets!" Finn exclaimed, imitating and high-pitched girl squeal and all.

Ella ignored his very close imitation of some of the girls in her class and replied, "You go first."

"Well, it's not really a secret, but I haven't really told anyone about it. I mean, my family knows about it and my closest friends, but I don't like to tell just anybody." He winked before continuing, "When I was about thirteen my dad and I were out driving. We were going to a golf course outside the city and I was so excited because it was one of the few times where he and I went out without Jack." Ella's stomach starting churning with anticipation for the outcome of Finn's story. "It was the last road before the course; I could see the greens in the distance, but we never made it to the range. Out of nowhere a big truck came and hit us, knocking us off of the road. I don't remember anything between getting hit and going to the hospital. I just remember waking up in the hospital bed, my mom, my aunt and Jack were standing around me, all of them crying. I knew then that my dad hadn't made it." Finn turned quiet and Ella knew he was done sharing.

"What was in the truck?"

"What?" Finn looked up, astonished at Ella's question.

"The truck that hit your car, what was in it?"

"Cheese," Finn said, his smile returning. "I tell you the tragic story of how my dad died and all you can think of is what was in the truck. You're something else, Ella Rhodes."

"Finn, I get it. I get why you don't tell people that story; you don't want their pity. I know the feeling. So, instead of saying how sorry I am for your loss, which I am, I thought I'd brighten the mood a bit. Besides, I'm sure nobody asked that before whenever you've told them that story."

Finn just laughed lightly. Ella sighed; had she been wrong? Did he want her sympathy? She shouldn't have been so cold, assumed that Finn was like her in that way. "Finn I'm sorry. I really am. I know what it's like to lose a parent. I didn't mean for you to think I'm not understanding, or that I don't have a heart."

"You are so unlike any girl I've ever met, Ella." Finn closed the small space between them; Ella hadn't realized how close she'd moved towards him while he was speaking. He tucked a loose strand of her messy, bed-head, uncombed hair behind her ear and stroked her cheek tenderly.

Neither of them spoke, they just gazed into each other's eyes lovingly. Ella felt a sudden fear of losing Finn. She couldn't explain where the thought came from but she didn't like it or the feeling it left in the pit of her stomach and all of her heart. She hugged Finn tightly and without warning, knocking the air out of him for a second. When Finn realized what she was doing her wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer.

"What's that for then?" he said into the hair at the top of her head.

"I just can't imagine not knowing you. Or losing you. I can't imagine not loving you, Finn."

"You don't have to imagine it, Ella. I'm right here and I will be forever. Or for as long as you'll have me."

"Finn?"

He kissed her head before answering. "Yes, my sweet?"

Ella giggled slightly then remembered what she'd wanted to say. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For everything; for being you, for telling me that story, for trusting me, for forgiving me, for _loving_ me. And for last night." Ella felt herself blushing as memories of the night before came rushing back. She loved Finn even more now; now that she knew how much she meant to him.

Surprisingly, Ella felt Finn's body stiffen. She thought what she had said was sweet, with a side of flirty. She pulled away and looked up at him. His eyes were bright and she thought she saw tears in them. Was this it? A breakup? The end of Finn and Ella?

Finn's lips silenced Ella's thoughts of impending doom. He pulled away when neither of them could stand the lack of oxygen. "Ella, thank you. I am more myself around you than I have ever been around anyone and I know that you and I, we were made for each other. Or at least, you were made for me." Ella wanted to question why he kept implying that she didn't love him as much as he loved her; that she was going to leave him any second. She didn't get a chance to, because Finn's lips found hers again and all and any thoughts vanished from her head, replaced with one sole thought; Finn was by far the most amazing thing to happen to her. Ever.

When they broke apart Finn smiled shyly at her, his cheeks reddening softly. "What?" she questioned.

"I was just remembering last night."

"Oh." Ella felt herself blush along with him. "That was, amazing."

"You're amazing." Ella giggled nervously. "Your turn," he continued.

"My turn what?"

"It's your turn to share something."

"Oh right. We're doing that again. I don't really know what to say."

"Anything. Anything you want me to know about you." He smiled at her, a sexy grin that stopped Ella's heart for a second.

"Okay. I guess I could tell you about my mom."

"If you're comfortable with talking about her. You don't have to feel pressured or anything."

"No, I want you to know everything there is to know. My mom left me and my dad when I was eighteen months old. I didn't even know her, you know? And my dad always told me that I was lucky that I never got to know her; he said that she was greedy, sneaky and a liar. But I always felt like a part of me was missing. When she came back for two months I was ten. She just stayed with my dad and me at my grandparents' house but I never really spent time with her. She was only there to get money from my dad and she was convincing enough that he gave it to her. I haven't seen her since then and I don't even care."

"Ella, thank you for telling me that," Finn said, pulling her into another hug. "I really appreciate that you could open up to me."

"Of course; you trusted me and I trust you. Wasn't last night proof enough?" Ella said, smiling against his chest.

"I think we need to do something fun. You and me. To help get our minds off our parents, you know?"

"Yes! Where should we go? What should we do? You know this city; what's your favourite thing to do on a Sunday afternoon?"

"Well, before now I never had a reason to go out on Sundays so I usually stayed in."

"You have this whole big city and you spend your Sundays indoors, in your apartment? You're so lame, Finn!"

Finn pulled out the hug, a hurt look on his face. Ella rolled her eyes and kissed him. A long, tender, romantic kiss. "You aren't lame."

"I know that! Okay, my favourite thing to do on Sundays is have a movie marathon; snacks, drinks, the works. What do you say?"

"Actually, that sounds like a lot of fun. Normally I'm not one for movies but I'm sure it will be more _exciting_ with you." Ella winked and Finn winked right back, biting his bottom lip seductively.

"You get the movies, I'll check my phone and then we'll reconvene on the couch."

"Sir yes sir." Finn went into the living room and started filing through his and Jack's movie collection. Ella went to get her phone in Finn's bedroom. She had three missed calls and two texts; all from an unknown number. Ella read the text messages and frowned in confusion.

The first text read "Hi Ella. It's Charlie, from the party last week. I got your number from Tasha and I'm sorry that I didn't ask you first. I'm stuck at the hospital and I was hoping you could come down to see me. I really need to talk to you and I won't be out of here anytime soon. Let me know, Charlie. Xx"

"Ella?" was all the second one said. The texts were followed by the three phone calls so obviously Charlie had grown impatient waiting for Ella to reply to his messages. Ella sighed; she didn't want to see Charlie. Charlie meant nothing. She wanted to spend the day with the marvelous Finn and _watch_ movies with him.

Ella called Charlie's number and he answered after the first ring. "Hello? Ella?"

"Yes, Charlie. It's Ella. What the hell do you want?"

"I want to see you; I really want to talk to you."

"Why?" she countered.

"Because I felt something that night at the party. I really think we had a connection," Charlie answered honestly.

"Oh my God, Charlie. We were both wasted that night and it meant absolutely nothing! And besides, you have a girlfriend and I have a- a boyfriend."

"Girlfriend? You mean Avery? She broke up with me weeks ago. Besides, I wouldn't have kissed you or even flirted with you if we were still together." Ella sighed with relief. But why was she relieved? She didn't care if he was in a relationship; she had Finn.

"Great, so why do you want to talk exactly?"

"I already said; you and I have something, I know it. If you just come down here we can talk and then sort this all out."

"Oh man, Charlie, I'm serious. There is nothing to sort out! Got it?" Ella was about to hang up when he continued talking.

"I really like you though, Ella."

"Charlie, stop. I have a boyfriend remember? So, please stop; I'm not interested okay?"

He said goodbye but his voice was low, sad even. She felt bad; she had led him on at the party, but she was making things clear now. Finn and she were happy and Charlie meant nothing to her. She kept repeating that to herself while she made her way back to Finn in the living room.

"What took you so long?" Finn asked. He wasn't rude about it, just curious.

"I had to phone someone. But it's okay, no more interruptions."

"Who?" He wasn't just curious now. He sounded worried.

Ella swallowed, contemplating telling him the truth. She knew it was the right thing to do. "Charlie."

"Why? What did he want?"

"He wanted me to visit him at the hospital because he wanted to _talk_."

"About what?" Finn stood up beside Ella.

"About he and I. He thought we _had_ something. But you know I said no. He means absolutely nothing to me."

"Didn't seem like that when you two were making out," Finn snapped.

"Finn! Was last night nothing? You are the first and only boy I've ever felt this way with and the first one I wanted to have a future with."

"You're right. Last night was the same for you as it was for me."

"Okay. So, now we can forget about Charlie and everything and start our movie marathon!"

"Righto mate." Finn and Ella sat down on the couch. Finn's arm was around Ella's waist and her head was resting on his shoulder. He gently kissed the top of her head, a feeling that was familiar but that felt better every time he did it.

The first movie was Spiderman but after the first twenty minutes of the movie, neither of them were watching. Finn pulled Ella onto her lap and they started a fiery make-out session. Finn's hands made circles on Ella's lower back and she rubbed her arms up and down Finn's arms.

Finn's hand trickled up Ella's back, under her shirt and stopped at her bra. He pulled away and gave Ella a questioning look, his eyebrows raised. She didn't care what happened; she just missed the feeling of his lips on hers. She nodded and then pulled him close again by his t-shirt. Finn pulled Ella's shirt off and continued rubbing her back. "Finn," she moaned quietly.

"Ella, I love you." He silenced her again with his lips and Ella felt whole for once in her life.

"You keep saying that," she whispered in reply after breaking free from their kiss for air.

"That's not a problem is it?" Ella slid off of Finn's lap and put her shirt back on quickly before returning to his side on the couch, keeping her body close to his. He didn't wrap his arm around her waist but he took her hand in his, holding it tightly and not once letting go.

"No. I just still can't believe this is all happening to me. I never thought I'd fall in love, you know?"

"Me neither." Finn raised their joint hands and kissed Ella's fingers softly. The two of them continued watching the movie but they kept stealing glances at each other throughout the remaining hour of the film.

"Just answer it, Ella." Finn and Ella had just started the fifth installment of their movie marathon and Ella's phone wouldn't stop ringing. She just ignored it at first but whoever it was that was calling her wouldn't stop.

"Fine." She stood to get her phone from the dining room table where she had left it before they had started the movies. "Don't pause it, I won't be long."

She grabbed her phone angrily and answered it. "What?" she snapped. She hadn't checked the number so she hoped it wasn't somebody important. Then again, who did she know that was important?

"Ella. I have been trying to reach you for the past ten minutes. I need to see you. Please."

Ella didn't recognize the voice but she out two and two together and assumed it was Charlie. "I have told you before and I will tell you again, Charlie. I am not coming to see you! There is nothing to talk about and we aren't a _thing_!" She hung up before he could try to talk her into going down to see him. Then she turned her phone off and went back to the couch. But the movie was paused and Finn was looking up her, a look of suspicion and concern on his face.

"Was that that guy Charlie?" His voice was emotionless but his eyes were angry.

"Yes. But I turned off my phone so he won't bother us anymore," she replied, trying to calm him down.

"That's not the point, Ella. He doesn't get it. He needs to start leaving you alone. Do you want me to go talk to him?" Finn's question was sincere but she knew he didn't mean it entirely for the good of Ella and his relationship. She knew if Finn met up with him, Charlie would be in the hospital for a lot longer than he already had to be.

"It's fine. You know what it is; it's probably the medication he's on or something, causing him to act so weird and frantic. And desperate. But you don't have to worry okay? I have no feelings for him whatsoever."

"That's not the only reason I have to worry. Who knows what he might do if you went to see him? Or if he's out of hospital before you leave. I'm worried about _you_."

"Don't be, Finn. I can take care of myself. I'm pretty strong you know, for a girl." Ella smiled at him, and then lifted her arms, flexing her humble biceps. Finn finally seemed to relax. He started to laugh at her weak muscles, and then flashed some of his own. Ella was beyond impressed with his toned arms, and she remembered the way his bare muscles flexed whenever they had kissed the night before.

"Come on, press play. I love this movie," Ella said. Finn obliged immediately.

"Run, Forrest, run," he said quietly, alongside the actress on the screen. Ella giggled then leaned her head on his shoulder again, feeling an overwhelming sensation of happiness at how lucky she that Finn had come along.

"When do you get to leave the hospital?" Caroline asked Will. They had just gotten back to his room and were both sitting on the edge of his bed. They had gone for a walk around the streets surrounding the hospital and Caroline had enjoyed getting to talk to him, to get to know him a bit better.

"Tonight actually. My mum is coming to get me in about half an hour. I was wondering if you wanted to come back to my place to officially meet my parents. And stay for dinner?" Will's cheeks flushed and Caroline could tell he was nervous. She suddenly became nervous too. Meet his parents? Already? They weren't girlfriend and boyfriend. Why did she need to meet his parents? And what about Jack? She hadn't spoken to him for a while and she suddenly felt guilty spending so much time with Will.

"Oh, Will. I don't, I don't know," she said quietly.

"You're right. It's weird," he agreed. Caroline couldn't help but notice how his tone had changed.

"I'm sorry, I just- another time maybe." She stood to leave. "I better go. School tomorrow and everything."

"Yeah. I'll see you there, I guess." Will stood too, his hands shoved awkwardly in his pant pockets.

"I had fun, Will. Goodbye." Caroline smiled at him but he just nodded at her as she left his hospital room. She felt like a horrible person. Had she been leading him on? Is that why Will thought she'd want a relationship, to meet his parents?

If she had made it seem that way then maybe it would be better to stay away from him until she figured out her feelings herself.

She made her way out of the hospital and to the nearest bus stop. She didn't know which way to go to get to Jack's apartment so she decided to go to the hotel and make her way from there.

Caroline knocked on the door to Jack and Finn's apartment. She didn't know why she had come or what she would say to Jack but she felt this heaviness on her shoulders of something she knew needed to be done. She thought seeing Jack would make things clearer.

"Caroline?" Finn answered, his hair was ruffled and his shirt was wrinkled. She raised an eyebrow at his disheveled appearance but dropped it again when she saw Ella standing behind him. "Caroline?" she parroted.

"Hey. I just, I was just- is Jack home?" she stammered. Finn held the door open wider and she walked inside. Ella's hair was just as messy as Finn's and she averted her eyes away from the messed up pillows on the couch.

"Jack! Someone's here to see you!" Finn called in a sing-songy voice.

Jack strolled into the room and he instantly cheered up when he saw Caroline; his shoulders raised slightly, his deep frown turning into a big toothy grin. "Hey!" Caroline left Finn and Ella and followed Jack to his bedroom. She stood at the door, unsure of where to put her hands.

"Come in," Jack said. He motioned for the bed and she sat on the edge uneasily. "So, what's up? It's been a while. How've you been? I heard you guys are staying! Well, obviously or you'd be home by now," Jack stopped quickly, his face red. "Sorry, I'm rambling. How are you?"

"I'm good. I just- I don't know why I came. I was just feeling unsure about things and I thought seeing you would clarify everything." Caroline was shocked at admitting that to him.

"What were you unsure about?"

"You and me and Will."

"Oh. So you're still thinking about him then?"

"I'm thinking about both of you. I told you, I don't know what to do about anything."

Jack sat down at an empty desk. "So did it work?"

"Did what work?" Caroline asked, genuinely confused.

"Seeing me. Did it _clarify everything_?" he asked, using Caroline's words.

"I don't know. Not really. I still don't know what I'm doing."

"Right. So should I just wait for you to figure stuff out?"

"Jack-"

"And then what happens when you choose him? What then?" His voice was full of emotion but he looked hurt more than anything.

"Jack it's not a _choice_ I have to make. I thought you'd understand what I'm going through."

"You're right. I understand. I understand that it's never going to be me. Because if it was you'd be with me already."

"Please, Jack. Just, give me some time to work through my feelings. Can you do that?"

"Sure. Time. Of course, Caroline," he said sweetly.

"Thank you. I guess I better go. Bye, Jack."

"Bye, Caroline. See you around."

Caroline left Jack alone in his room. She tried to fight the frustration and anger towards him from bottling up inside of her. When she reached the living room Ella and Finn were wrapped in each other's arms talking quietly even though there was a movie on. Ella laughed and then noticed Caroline heading for the door.

"Caroline, are you leaving?" she asked, distracted by Finn.

"Yeah. Are you coming?"

She glanced at Finn and then shook her head, "No I'll meet you at the hotel later." Caroline left them with a quick goodbye and made her way back.

When she reached the hotel room she buried herself under the blankets and pillows. It was only 5:12 but she felt exhausted. In just one day she had made things awkward between her and Will and hurt Jack beyond repair.


	17. Chapter 17

**AN: Chapter 17! Thank you all for being so awesome! :D You guys rock and make the struggles of writing worth it. :D This chapter may be disappointing to some people... but it will get better eventually! ;) Happy reading!**

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As Ella tossed pants and shirts out of the dresser drawers, Caroline came out of the bathroom with a toothbrush stuck in her mouth. "What on earth are you looking for?" Caroline asked, trying to keep the toothpaste inside her mouth.

"My phone, I can't find it." Ella had emptied the drawers and was now tearing through the bed sheets, hoping she'd accidently fallen asleep with it.

"When did you use it last?" Caroline asked, spitting then rinsing.

"I don't remember."

"That's helpful," Caroline said sarcastically.

"Well you could help me, you know." Ella paused her search to look up at Caroline who was staring back at her.

"You brought it home last night, right? There's no way you left it at Finn's, right?" Caroline looked at Ella hopefully.

"Caroline," Ella said condescendingly. "I'm not an idiot."

"Are you sure?" Caroline asked, placing her hand on Ella's shoulder.

"That I didn't leave my phone at Finn's or that I'm not an idiot?"

"Both."

"I'm sure. Oh," Ella paused, retracing her steps from last night. "I think it is at Finn's. Yes, because we were watching the movie when Charlie called, then I put my phone down on the table and went back to the couch. Then when I left, I was too busy thinking about Finn to remember to grab my phone. I guess I'll just have to stop by and grab it later. Come with me?"

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"I have to work on my English essay."

"We don't have an English essay," Ella said warily, knowing immediately something was going on.

"So, you ready yet?" Caroline asked, changing the subject.

"Almost." Ella brushed past Caroline on her way to the bathroom where she brushed her teeth, ruffled her already messy hair and gave herself a quick onceover in the mirror.

At school, Ella was thinking of what Finn and she had been up to last light. Caroline rolled her eyes every time she heard Ella say the words, "passionate" and "kiss." Caroline liked Finn once. It was hard enough for her to get over him and now she had to listen to Ella go on about the romantic nights they'd so often shared together, Ella not even realizing her best friend had been wanting to call dibs from the moment she set eyes on him.

"Hey, Ella, I'd love to hear more about your night with Finn and how much fun you had lying against him with your head on his chest," Caroline said, watching as Ella's eyes grew wider just thinking about the memory, "but I have to get to class. I'll see you later."

"Okay, bye," Ella said with a wave and a smile. After she had watched Caroline disappear down the corridor, she practically skipped to Gym.

"Hi," Caroline said to Will as she sat down in her seat in French class.

"Hi," Will said, smiling slightly.

"How are you feeling today?"

"Can we not do this?" Will asked harshly.

"Do what?" Caroline replied, taken aback.

"This. You ask me how I feel, pretend that everything's normal because, Caroline, it's not."

"I don't understand."

"I like you. I thought I was making that obvious and yesterday, when I told you dinner with my parents was weird, I didn't actually mean it. I wanted you to come over. I wanted you to see my house and eat with my family. I said it would be weird because I know you felt uncomfortable. But if you're still trying to make up your mind about Jack, I don't know how much more of this I can take."

"Listen," Caroline began but was then cut off by Will.

"I don't want to listen anymore."

"I'm really sorry. I never wanted to be that girl who left two guys hanging, wondering if she'd choose them. I never wanted to be her."

"Well you _are _her."

"I'm so sorry, Will."

"Save it for Jack." With that, Will turned away from Caroline but there wasn't much he could turn to since he still had to listen in class and face the teacher. His attempts at escaping Caroline's company had become limited. She sat in her seat, twisting and turning uncomfortably. The more and more she thought about it, Caroline had started something with Jack and she thought that it would be wrong to leave something like that open. Caroline needed to solve the mystery; or maybe she must need to reopen the case.

As Ella made her way to French class she had the odd feeling of someone's eyes on her. She looked behind her several times but didn't see anyone familiar. When she got to the classroom she looked to her sides one more time to make sure she didn't miss anyone. When she was about to go into the class she felt two strong arms wrap around her thin waist. She was pulled against someone, and she was about to scream out for help when she caught the familiar and comforting smell of Finn.

"Hey there." She felt his warm breath in her ear and smiled slightly. She turned out of his arms to face him, and then the both of them moved down the hall slightly, away from the classroom door. Ella saw all the students passing by her looking at her and Finn's hands, the way they were suggestively wrapped together. She suddenly felt self-conscious knowing that they could all see her with Finn.

"Finn. What are you doing here?" she slipped her hands out of his and crossed her arms across her chest.

"Well, I woke up and saw your phone on our dining room table. So I thought why don't I drop in and bring it to you? So I did. And then I got here and I thought we could go out for lunch." Ella winced at the confident volume of Finn's voice.

"Finn, I have class. I can't go out for lunch right now!"

"Well, yeah. I know. We could go out after, during your lunch period." His smile faltered a bit but he saved it as best he could.

"I guess. But, why did you come so early? I mean, you could've texted Caroline and asked what time we go for lunch or something."

"Why does it matter? I'm here. I'll just wait at the coffee shop across the street." Finn couldn't hide his hurt now; his smile vanished from his face.

"Because, now everyone's seen you."

Finn stepped back from Ella, his eyes boring into hers. "What the hell does that mean?"

"Finn. Come on. You're not a high school student anymore and it's obvious you don't belong here. It's just, everyone can see you with me and it's embarrassing."

"I'm embarrassing you," Finn stated.

"No, Finn. Oh man that's not what I meant. I just feel like, these people won't understand our situation. They'll judge us. They'll judge me."

"Why should they matter? Since when do you care about what other people think?"

"They matter because these are the people I have to deal with five days a week for who knows how much longer. I know they won't get us and what we are."

"What are we then, Ella?"

"We're girlfriend and boyfriend," Ella said hesitantly.

"Exactly. So you shouldn't be embarrassed by me, your boyfriend, coming to your school to give you your phone and to take you out to lunch. That's what boyfriends do for their girlfriends."

"Finn, I'm sorry. Embarrassed wasn't the right word. These people aren't like us; they think about age as a barrier not as just a number."

"I don't understand you! You go around acting like you're above everyone just because you don't care what people think but when it comes down to reality you care about people's opinions just as much as anyone else. Who the fuck cares what these people think of you and I?" Finn's voice grew louder and gained more people's attention.

"Finn, I have to go to class. We can talk about this later." Ella turned to go and Finn stuck his hand out, her phone lying on his open palm.

"Take it. That way I can call you before I come down here next time, you know, so I don't embarrass you." He left Ella to go to class without another word. She sulked into the class, hiding her face until she made her way to her seat beside Caroline.

"What took you so long?" Caroline asked her, concerned.

"Finn was here."

"Oh, did he bring your phone for you?" Caroline seemed genuinely interested, not at all surprised that Finn had ventured to their school.

"Yeah. And we were going to go out for lunch."

"You _were?_ Not anymore? Ella what happened?"

"I got embarrassed. He surprised me in the hall and people were looking at us and he was talking so loud I'm sure people heard everything he was saying."

"So what happened?"

"I told him he was embarrassing me in front of everyone. And he totally overreacted and got mad and gave me my phone and left."

"Why were you so embarrassed? You're so lucky you have a guy who comes all this way to give you your phone and take you out to eat; to surprise you like that."

"I know, it was sweet. But he didn't have to come into the school where everyone could see him."

"Ella, you may have ruined it." Ella nodded. She was certain she had. The teacher walked in and neither her nor Caroline said another word.

Lunch was silent. Caroline was subconsciously jealous of how eager Finn was to please Ella. Ella didn't speak because she was ashamed of the way she'd spoken to Finn. Both girls sat in their seats, opposite each other and poked their salads with their forks. Neither of them had touched their food.

"I should apologize to him," Ella finally said.

"Yeah, you should."

"Hey, I didn't mean to get you mad at me, too."

"I know, I just think it was really unfair of you to tell him he was embarrassing you when he wanted to return your phone, so _you _didn't have to go all the way to his house to get it, and then take you to lunch. I'd kill to have a guy take me to lunch," Caroline sighed.

"Are you kidding me? Guys fall all over you, all the time. I watch you with them, batting your eyelashes, twirling your hair. They're practically drooling. You don't even have to speak and they're hypnotized."

"You think I like all that attention? I hate being gaped at. It's like I'm just theirs to look at. None of them care what I think about anything or how I feel. My opinions don't matter. I'm not saying it's not nice to know that people like you but when you think about it a little longer, you realize that they like you for all the wrong reasons."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean that."

"Don't worry about it."

"So I have a plan," Ella began. Caroline leaned in slightly, encouraging her to go on. "I'll just act like nothing happened. If I pretend I never said what I said he'll forget all about it."

"I don't think that's a good idea." Caroline gave Ella a look of concern.

"Why would I take relationship advice from you?" Ella asked, before standing up, tossing her lunch in the trash and walking away, leaving Caroline alone at their lunch table.

After school Ella went home with Caroline and Ryan, worrying about how she had messed everything up with Finn. She didn't say anything on the bus ride but Ryan and Caroline's friendly chatter was a distraction from her thoughts. When they got to the hotel she rushed upstairs before Caroline could get on the same elevator with her.

She closed the hotel room door, locking it behind her, and went into the bathroom. She dialed Finn's number and waited anxiously for him to answer. After the fourth ring she was about to hang up when his voice said hello.

"Hey, Finn. I was thinking about tonight. Since we couldn't go out for lunch, how about dinner?"

"Dinner?"

"Yeah. Any suggestions on where we could eat?"

"I'm not going to dinner with you," Finn replied, surprising Ella.

"Why not?"

"After the way you acted this morning I don't think we should be seen together in public. It's too embarrassing."

"I thought we could just forget about this morning, Finn."

"Then we can forget last weekend too."

"What do you mean?" Ella had a bad feeling about where the conversation was headed.

"I mean, we should take a break. Obviously we both have different expectations in this relationship and until we can both be on the same page I think we should stop seeing each other."

Ella's chest was pounding so loudly she could barely hear herself think. "Are you- we're breaking up?" she managed to choke out.

"Yes. Everything has changed, Ella. It's not as simple as it was before. Hell, it was never simple. But I feel like this is the right move."

"Did you ever wonder what I feel?"

"You showed your feelings pretty clearly earlier today."

"Finn please. We can work it out. Please don't do this."

"Just a break, Ella. We're just taking a break. I need to get my priorities straight and you need to figure out who you are."

"I know who I am, Finn. And you are a big part of me. You make me a better _me_."

"That's a little late don't you think?"

"Please, F-"

"I'm sorry. Goodbye for now, Ella." Caroline entered their hotel room just as Finn was hanging up on Ella.


End file.
